Methamphetamine FAQ

A. The drug is becoming more popular among persons 18 years and younger, as studies show teenagers perceive methamphetamine as safer, longer lasting and easier to buy than cocaine. The "Monitoring the Future" survey, which measures the extent of drug use among U.S. adolescents, found methamphetamine use among high school seniors more than doubled between 1990 and 1996. In addition, law enforcement officials have caught teens as young as 14- and 15-year-olds using and selling the drug.

A.  Teens whose parents talk to them about drugs are half as likely to use drugs as those whose parents do not speak to them on this topic.  See also: Crystal Meth and Methamphetamine effects on Children

A. Athletes and students sometimes begin using meth because of the initial heightened physical and mental performance the drug produces. Blue collar and service workers may use the drug to work extra shifts, while young women often begin using meth to lose weight. Others use meth recreationally to stay energized at "rave" parties or other social activities. In addition, meth is less expensive and more accessible than cocaine and users often have the misconception that methamphetamine is not really a drug.

A. Methamphetamine users are likely also to be users of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine rather than users of drugs like heroin.

A. In some cases, doctors prescribe low doses of methamphetamine for narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder.

A. It can be smoked, taken intranasally (snorted), injected intravenously or ingested orally. The practice of "eating" meth by putting it on paper or food and chewing it also has been reported.

A. The drug alters mood in different ways, depending on how it is taken.   Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection, the user experiences an intense "rush" or "flash" that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Smoking or injecting produces effects fastest, within five to ten seconds.  Snorting or ingesting orally produces euphoria - a high but not an intense rush.  Snorting produces effects within three to five minutes, and ingesting orally produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes.  Stages / Patterns of Methamphetamine Abuse

A. In all forms, the drug stimulates the central nervous system, with effects lasting anywhere from four to 24 hours. Methamphetamine use can not only modify behavior in an acute state, but after taking it for a long time, the drug literally changes the brain in fundamental and long-lasting ways. It kills by causing heart failure (myocardial infarction), brain damage, and stroke and it induces extreme, acute psychiatric and psychological symptoms that may lead to suicide or murder.

A. Central Nervous System Side Effects
Even small amounts of methamphetamine can produce euphoria, increased alertness, paranoia, decreased appetite and increased physical activity. Other central nervous system effects include athetosis (writhing jerky, or flailing movements), irritability, extreme nervousness, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, aggression, incessant talking, hyperthermia, and convulsions. Hyperthermia (extreme rise in body temperature as high as 108 degrees) and convulsions sometimes can result in death.

Use can produce chest pain and hypertension which can result in cardiovascular collapse and death. In addition, methamphetamine causes accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain.

Pupil dilation, respiratory disorders, dizziness, tooth grinding, impaired speech, dry or itchy skin, loss of appetite, acne, sores, numbness, and sweating. Physical Changes

Symptoms of prolonged meth abuse can resemble those of schizophrenia and are characterized by anger, panic, paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, repetitive behavior patterns, and formication (delusions of parasites or insects on the skin).   Methamphetamine-induced paranoia can result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts.

A. Fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage, blood clots, chronic depression, hallucinations, violent and aggressive behavior, malnutrition, disturbed personality development, deficient immune system, and methamphetamine psychosis, a mental disorder that may be paranoid psychosis or may mimic schizophrenia.

A. A toxic reaction (or overdose) can occur at relatively low levels, 50 milligrams of pure drug for a non-tolerant user. Metabolic rates vary from person to person, and the strength of the illegal form of the drug varies from batch to batch, so there is no way of stating a "safe" level of use. In overdose, high fever, convulsions and cardiovascular collapse may precede death. Because stimulants effect the body's cardiovascular and temperature-regulating systems, physical exertion increases the hazards of meth use. 

A. Babies can be born methamphetamine addicted and suffer birth defects, low birth weight, tremors, excessive crying, attention deficit disorder, and behavior disorders.   There is also an increased risk of child abuse (including "shaken baby syndrome") and neglect of children born to parents who use methamphetamine.  Articles and Information about Children and Babies on Methamphetamine

A. The person may exhibit anxiousness; nervousness; incessant talking; extreme moodiness and irritability; purposeless, repetitious behavior, such as picking at skin or pulling out hair; sleep disturbances; false sense of confidence and power; aggressive or violent behavior; disinterest in previously enjoyed activities; and severe depression.  Using Signals / Signs of Users on Crystal Meth

A. The key is the dosage. Methamphetamine abusers use much higher dosages of the drug than a physician would routinely prescribe when treating a patient.

A. All addictive drugs have two things in common: they produce an initial pleasurable effect, followed by a rebound unpleasant effect. Methamphetamine, through its stimulant effects, produces a positive feeling, but later leaves a person feeling depressed. This is because it suppresses the normal production of dopamine, creating a chemical imbalance. The user physically demands more of the drug to return to normal.   This pleasure/tension cycle leads to loss of control over the drug and addiction.

A. Methamphetamine short-circuits a person's survival system by artificially stimulating the reward center, or pleasure areas in the brain. This leads to increased confidence in meth and less confidence in the normal rewards of life. This happens on a physical level at first, then it affects the user psychologically. The result is decreased interest in other aspects of life while reliance and interest in meth increases. In one study, laboratory animals pressed levers to release methamphetamine into their blood stream rather than eat, mate, or satisfy other natural drives. The animals died of starvation while giving themselves methamphetamine even though food was available.

A. Yes. The severity and length of symptoms vary with the amount of damage done to the normal reward system through methamphetamine use. The most common symptoms are: drug craving, extreme irritability, loss of energy, depression, fearfulness, excessive drowsiness or difficulty in sleeping, shaking, nausea, palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and increased appetite.  See also: Quitting Crystal Meth / Methamphetamine

A. Several treatment providers describe methamphetamine abusers as "the hardest to treat" of all drug users. They are often overly excitable and "extremely resistant to any form of intervention once the acute effects of meth use have gone away." Meth addicts get over the acute effects of withdrawal fairly quickly. However, the "wall" period lasts 6-8 months for casual users and 2-3 years for regular users. (Some people never recover and remain unsatisfied with life dueto permanent brain damage.) This is a period of prolonged abstinence during which the brain recovers from the changes resulting from meth use. During this period, recovering addicts feel depressed, fuzzyheaded, and think life isn't as pleasurable without the drug. Because prolonged use causes changes in the brain, willpower alone will not cure meth addicts.

A. Yes. Because there are psychiatric, social, and biological components to meth dependence, there is a high likelihood of relapse. Key relapse issues are similar to that of cocaine use and include other substance abuse and being around drug-using friends.  Meth Relapse Topics

A. Methamphetamine causes a variety of mental, physical, and social problems which may prompt entry into treatment. Though not as expensive as heroin and cocaine, its cost might also produce financial problems for users and prompt them to seek help.   However, the most commonly reported reason why methamphetamine users enter treatment is trouble with the law. These legal problems include aggressive or bizarre behaviors which prompt others to call police. Other reasons for entry include mental or emotional problems and problems at work or at school. 
    How to help a Tweaker / Tweeker  
    Intervention and Understanding Addiction  
    Recovery and Treatment of Crystal Meth / Methamphetamine

A. Treatment is a highly cost-effective alternative; it is about one-tenth of the cost to treat a person rather than putting him or her in jail.  Meth Math: Cost per Addict

A. Automobile accidents; explosions and fires triggered by the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine; environmental contamination; increased criminal activity, including domestic violence; emergency room and other medical costs; spread of infectious disease, including HIV, AIDS and hepatitis; and lost worker productivity. Economic costs also fall on governments, which must allocate additional resources for social services and law enforcement. See also, Cost of Meth to an Addict or Society,  Methamphetamine: What are the real costs to society?

A. Meth trafficking and production are different than other drugs because they are dangerous from start to finish. The reckless practices of the untrained people who manufacture it in clandestine labs result in explosions and fires that injure or kill not only the people and families involved, but also law enforcement or fireman who respond. Any number of solvents, precursors and hazardous agents are found in unmarked containers at these sites. These potent chemicals can enter the central nervous system and cause neural damage, effect the liver and kidneys, and burn or irritate the skin, eyes and nose. Environmental damage is another consequence of these reckless actions, and violence is often a part of the process as well.

A. Each pound of meth produced leaves behind five or six pounds of toxic waste.   Meth cooks often pour leftover chemicals and byproduct sludge down drains in nearby plumbing, storm drains, or directly onto the ground.   Chlorinated solvents and other toxic byproducts used to make meth pose long-term hazards because they can persist in soil and groundwater for years. Clean-up costs are exorbitant because solvent contaminated soil usually must be incinerated.

A.  Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and beyond the financial capabilities of most jurisdictions. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000 but some cost as much as $150,000. Guidelines for Cleaning up former Methamphetamine Labs.