Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth is a powerful, very addictive drug. As a stimulant, it affects the central nervous systems and alters the brain chemistry. The drug takes the form of a white, somewhat transparent, and bitter-tasting powder. Meth can easily dissolve in alcohol and water
Street names of methamphetamine include:
- Crystal Meth
- extreme talkativeness
- increased activity of the users
- decreases appetite
- intense high or euphoric feelings
- repetitive motor activity
- changes in brain structure and function
- memory loss
- aggressive or violent behavior
- mood disturbances
- severe dental problems
- weight loss
Medical use of meth
- used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD
- Short term weight loss management but are rarely prescribed
- Other weight management cases which other treatments failed
How Meth is usedMethamphetamine, as powerful stimulant comes in various forms and users either:
- Ingest the drug.
How fast meth can act on the system
- Smoking or snorting meth can produce an intense high as little as 2 to 5 minutes.
- Oral ingestion takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Drug OverdoseChances of drug overdose increase when users fall in this binging occasion. They take too much of the drug in a small span of time. This can create a toxic reaction that leads to serious, more detrimental effects on the users which often results to coma even death.
A drug overdose can lead to:
- heart attack,
- organ problems like kidney failure
Methamphetamine Abuse in the country
- The National Survey on Drug Use and Health or NSDUH survey in 2012, around 1.2 million people use meth in the past year.
- Almost 440,000 or .2 percent of people use the drug in the past month.
- However, meth abuse is on the decline in the past several years. In 2006, 731,000 people or .3 percent reported using meth in the previous month. This makes a difference of 291,000 people who stopped or discontinued to use meth over the years.
- In 2012, people ages 12 years old and older than to abuse meth. But the average age of use dropped drop, the youngest users in 2012 were 19.7 years old.
- According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network or DAWN, methamphetamine use accounted for 103,000 emergency visits in 2011.
- Meth ranks as the fourth most abuse drug for emergency visits following marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Even though the numbers are still staggering, it shows a drop in numbers from 132,576 cases in 2004.
- Male users the drug more often compare to female, with 53 percent and about 68 percent were profiled as non-Hispanic white people.
What is Methamphetamine | Okeechobee Fl was originally published on detoxofsouthflorida.com