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Meth: Powdery Plague for a New Generation
Methamphetamine takes the form of an off-white or yellowish, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves in water or alcohol. Today, the drug has many street names - meth, crank, crystal, speed, chalk, glass, ice, zip...the list goes on. It 's been around for a long time. Amphetamines were given to soldiers and factory workers in World War II to help them stay alert. In the 1950s and '60s, methamphetamine was prescribed to help people lose weight.
As use of methamphetamines spread, so did it abuse. Methamphetamine and amphetamines became a cure-all for helping truckers to complete their long routes without falling asleep, for weight control, to help athletes perform better and train longer, and for treating mild depression. For a time, outlaw biker gangs and long-haul truck drivers were the primary groups connected to the abuse of the drug. Then, intravenous methamphetamine abuse spread among a sub-culture known as speed freaks. The violent and erratic behavior seen among chronic abusers of methamphetamine led medical authorities to discontinue its use.
However, the recipe for home-made meth is still in circulation. Parents should be aware that is available on the Internet. Because it's cheap, easy to make, and produces such a long-lasting high, meth has become a popular substitute for cocaine. A new generation of users have made meth their drug of choice. The result is a blizzard of meth that's sweeping across many small towns and cities. It's a trend with eerie parallels to the crack cocaine epidemic that swept through America's big cities in the 1980s.
Poor Man's Cocaine
Meth generally costs the same or less than crack cocaine. Because the body metabolizes it more slowly, the high lasts much longer, so the user feels they get more "bang for the buck." That's why it's been dubbed the "poor man's cocaine."
On the street, meth is sold in quarter grams, half grams, grams, sixteenths (1/16 of an ounce or one-and-three quarters of a gram) or as "eight-balls" (one-eighth of an ounce or three-and-a-half grams). The cost ranges from $25 to $100 per gram.
Crack of the New Millennium
Methamphetamine users suffer the same addiction cycle and withdrawal reactions as those suffered by crack cocaine users. Both drugs, after prolonged use, lead to binging - consuming the drug continuously for three or more days without sleep. The user is then driven into a severe depression, followed by worsening paranoia, belligerence and aggression, a period known as tweaking. Finally, collapsing from exhaustion, the user awakens days later to repeat the cycle. Beware. Chronic abuse of today's ephedrine-based meth can kill you. It is far more potent than the meth sold years ago. It produces a reaction even more severe than crack cocaine, with sleepless binges that can last up to 14 days and end with intolerable crashes.
Your Brain On Meth
Methamphetamine initially sends a message to the pleasure center in your brain. When you first take meth, you might feel alert, full of energy, self-confident. Your brain is releasing dopamine, a natural and feel-good chemical. Dopamine is a reward for repeating pleasurable activities that you need to stay alive, like eating. If you keep taking meth, however, you'll short-circuit this reward system and possibly lose your ability to experience pleasure.
That's because hours after taking meth, your brain cells release an enzyme that stops the dopamine flow. Repeated meth use will, in fact, kill the dopamine cells. This leads to a chemical change that lasts for a long time. Without that dopamine, you become cranky, depressed, aggressive, even violent. This can go on for months after you've stopped taking meth.
While cocaine binges rarely continue more than 72 hours, meth's effects can last as much as ten times longer than a cocaine user's high. Meth binges can last up to two weeks. When heavy cocaine users experience paranoia, it almost always disappears once the binge ends. With meth, severe mood disturbance and bizarre thoughts and behavior often last beyond the binge. These effects can last for days, sometime weeks, causing you to lose a grip on reality.
Under the influence of meth, you'll become agitated and feel "wired." Your behavior becomes unpredictable. You may be friendly and calm one moment, angry and terrified the next. You might start doing the same thing over and over, like taking apart and reassembling bits of machinery, or picking at imaginary bugs underneath your skin.
A powerful drug is making a killer comeback.
It's called methamphetamine, or meth. People smoke it, snort it, inject it, even swallow it. Dealers and users will tell you how fun it is, that it'll help you lose weight, that you'll be able to stay up for hours to work or study. Here are a few things about meth they won't tell you.
Your teeth will turn yellow, gray or black, or even fall out.
You'll literally cook your organs. body fat and muscle (elevated body temperature).
Your body odor will smell bad like glue or mayonnaise.
You'll pick at imaginary bugs crawling under you skin (causing open skin sores).
You'll hallucinate that people are after you, hiding in the trees and grass.
What You Can Do About Meth
Maybe someone you know and love is on meth.
Maybe you've thought about experimenting with meth yourself. Now you know a little about it.
Life or meth, choose meth and here's what it will cost you:
Your looks,
Your health,
Your self esteem,
Your income,
Your freedom,
Your sanity,
Maybe even your life...
Meth can cost you everything that's important to you.
Six Tips for Dealing With Tweakers
People who abuse methamphetamine regularly are known as tweakers. Tweakers often behave or react violently. The tweaker may not have slept in three to fifteen days, and may be irritable and paranoid. If he or she is also using alcohol or another depressant, the danger may be intensified. The tweaker craves more meth, but no dosage will help re-create the first "rush" or euphoric high. This may cause frustration and leads to unpredictable behavior and violence. To support their habits, tweakers often participate in spur-of-the-moment crimes, such as purse-snatching or burglaries.
Tweakers are often involved in domestic disputes and automobile accidents. They may also be present at raves or parties. They may at first appear to be normal. A closer look will reveal eye movement ten times faster than normal, a voice with a slight quiver, and jerky movements.
If you notice someone is tweaking, be careful how you handle the situation. Here are six safety tips for approaching a tweaker:
1. Keep your distance. Coming too close can be perceived as threatening.
2. No bright lights. The tweaker is already paranoid and, if blinded by a bright light, he or she is likely to run or become violent.
3. Slow your speech and lower your voice. The tweaker already hears sound at a fast pace and in a high pitch.
4. Slow your movements. This will decrease the odds that the tweaker will misinterpret your physical actions.
5. Keep your hands visible. If you place your hands where the tweaker cannot see them, he may feel threatened and could become violent.
6. Keep the tweaker talking. A tweaker who falls silent can be extremely dangerous. Silence often means that his paranoid thoughts have taken over reality, and anyone present can become part of the tweaker's paranoid delusions.
THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF TEENAGERS IS DRUNK DRIVING
The number one killer of teenagers is drunk driving. More than 3,500 teens are killed and another 85,000 injured each year in car crashes involving alcohol. Not all have been drinking; some are passengers or innocent targets of people who drink and drive. Someone in the United States is killed in an alcohol-related traffic accident every 23 minutes. The someone could be your best friend. It could be you.
SOME FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL
A can of beer or a glass of wine or wine cooler is just as intoxicating as a shot of liquor. Most state laws define "drunk" as having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.10%. But people react to alcohol differently, depending on how recently they have eaten, their metabolism, how tired they are, the medication they take, their emotional state, and their weight.
Because of these differences, no one can predict a "safe" number of drinks. The bottom line is that alcohol is a depressant. Even small amounts slow your physical reactions and thought processes.
ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
Combining alcohol and other drugs, even over-the-counter ones, multiplies the dangerous effects of both. Never mix alcohol with any drug, even cold tablets, cough syrups, or medicine prescribed by your doctor.
DRUNK DRIVING AND THE LAW
Drunk driving is against the law in all states. If you are arrested as a DWI or DUI (Driving While Intoxicated or Driving Under the Influence), you can lose your license, be fined, or go to prison. Don't expect to get off just because you are under 18. Most courts today can try 16 and 17 year olds as adults in cases where death or severe injury has occurred. If you cause an accident while driving (and the chances are much higher if you've been drinking), your insurance company can increase your rates or cancel your policy. If you are under 21, it's illegal for you to purchase alcohol or a drink -- anyplace!
ILLEGAL DRUGS AND DRIVING
Alcohol is a drug. It is the most widely abused drug in our nation. A number of drugs that are illegal for everyone, such as marijuana and cocaine, severely impair a driver's skills. Don't use illegal drugs; don't ride with a driver who has used them.
TEENS CAN HELP EACH OTHER
Be smarter and safer by organizing buses, car pools, or limousines for prom nights and other school parties.
If you are out with a group of friends, be sure to have a "designated driver," someone who pledges not to drink at all. If you or someone else makes one mistake -- illegal drinking -- don't compound it with a second mistake -- driving under the influence. |
