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Methamphetamine, also known as meth, speed, ice and crystal, is an unpredictable, sometimes lethal drug. Like cocaine, meth is a potent stimulant, and it can be smoked, snorted, injected or taken orally. It is usually a white, odorless, bitter-tasting powder that easily dissolves in water. Another common form of the drug is crystal meth, or "ice," named for its clear, large crystals, which resemble rock candy. Crystal meth is smoked in a manner similar to crack cocaine; about 10 to 15 "hits" can be obtained from a single gram of the substance. The euphoric effect of smoking ice lasts longer than that of smoking crack.
History
First synthesized in 1887, methamphetamine is made from the drug ephedrine, an organic substance used as a medicine in China for hundreds of years. In the 1930s, it was sold in the U.S. as a nasal spray for the treatment of inflamed nasal passages and as a treatment for narcolepsy, a sleep disorder. During WWII, it was used by both sides to improve soldiers' performance. This became a major problem in Japan after World War II, as the country experienced the first known epidemic of methamphetamine abuse. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act regulated the production of methamphetamine. Today, much of the methamphetamine available on the street is illicit and produced in clandestine laboratories in the United States and Mexico. Because of this, questions always linger about the quality and purity of the drug.
Effects
Like all stimulants, methamphetamine increases the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and rate of breathing. It also frequently results in hyperactivity; violent behavior;
dilated pupils; a sense of euphoria and increased energy; tremors, nervousness and irritability; and paranoia. Users also risk the spread of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV disease, especially if they inject the drug.
Withdrawal from high doses produces severe depression. Chronic abuse can produce a psychosis that is similar to schizophrenia and is characterized by paranoia, picking at the skin, self absorption, and auditory and visual hallucinations. Violent and erratic behavior is frequently seen among chronic, high-dose methamphetamine abusers. Another common long-term effect is "meth mouth," in which users experience severe tooth decay or tooth loss.
The most dangerous stage of the binge cycle is known as “tweaking.” Typically, during this stage, the meth abuser has not slept in several and is irritable and paranoid. The “tweaker” has an intense craving for more methamphetamine; however, no dosage will help recreate the euphoric high. This causes frustration and leads to unpredictability and a potential for violence.
Use Among Teens
Use among teens seemed to hit a peak in the late 1990s, before leveling off again in the decade after. In 1990 2.7 percent of high school seniors reported using meth in their lifetime. In 1999 4.8 percent of high school seniors reported such use. By 2010, the rate had fallen back to 2.3 percent, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Availability
Meth continues to be easily available, especially in urban areas. Although meth production was once concentrated in the western and southwestern United States, it spread nationwide during the 1990s.
Historically, the suppliers of methamphetamine in the United States were gangs and other independent trafficking groups. Mexico-based trafficking groups entered the illicit methamphetamine market in the mid-1990s, making the drug even more widely available.
