As an addict goes through meth withdrawal (a state known as "tweaking"), they can often become intensely paranoid and violent.1
Immediately after injection, the user experiences a "rush," a sudden feeling of intense pleasure. Snorting and oral ingestion of meth take several minutes to take effect and do not produce a rush in this way.1
Heavy usage often takes the form of binges, known as "runs," in which the addict injects meth every two to three hours. During a run the meth addict does not eat and stays awake for days at a time.1
Unlike opiates, methamphetamine often increases libido. Because of this, the drug is often used in conjunction with sex, which increases the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.1
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled.
An estimated 8.8 million people (4.0 percent of the population) have tried methamphetamine at some time in their lives.1
Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected.1
Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." In its smoked form, it is often referred to as "ice," "crystal," "crank," and "glass."
Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central nervous system.1
Methamphetamine has mood-altering effects, behavioral effects such as increased activity and decreased appetite, and a high lasting 8 to 24 hours.2
Although there is an initial general sense of well-being, methamphetamine use has been associated with both long- and short-term problems such as brain damage, cognitive impairment and memory loss, stroke, paranoia, anorexia, hyperthermia, hepatitis, HIV transmission, and violence.2
Researchers have reported that as much as 50 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged after prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine.2
Methamphetamine poses a particular problem because it can be produced in clandestine laboratories using over-the-counter drugs, house-hold products, and other readily available chemicals. These laboratories are subject to a high risk of explosion, causing fires and releasing toxic gases.2
Research Excerpts
"The abuse of methamphetamine - a potent psychostimulant - is an extremely serious and growing problem. Although use of methamphetamine initially was limited to a few urban areas in the Southwest, several major Western cities and Hawaii have seen dramatic increases in its use, and rural areas throughout the country are becoming more affected by the drug. In addition, methamphetamine use among significantly diverse populations has been documented."1
"Meth has more long-term, serious effects on the brain than cocaine."1
Media Quotes
"A highly addictive stimulant, methamphetamine can cause confusion, anxiety, paranoia and violence. Children who live in homes with users of the drug are at risk for neglect and abuse, officials say, in addition to the risks posed by exposure to the drug itself and its manufacturing process. 'I would venture to say, we've had kids who have been seriously injured or died and we didn't recognize it as being linked to their parents' drug abuse,' Wells said. 'And that's a real problem.'"3
"Maryaka, a 23-year-old Prescott Valley woman from California, is a former user whose "bottom" came when she began stealing from her family to support her need for methamphetamine. She is now working to beat her addiction that began in her teenage years. Methamphetamine has caused her to leave one of her children behind in California. Maryaka's mother gained custody of her second child when Maryaka went to jail for crimes associated with her meth use."4
