Methamphetamine

Slang Terms Meth Crystal Meth MA Crank Ice Amp Tick Tick Tina Mexican Crack

What is it? What is it? Stimulant (speeds up the CNS)

What does it look like? Methamphetamine Powder Description: Beige/yellowy/off-white powder Base / Paste Methamphetamine Description: ‘Oily’, ‘gunky’, ‘gluggy’ gel, moist, waxy Crystalline Methamphetamine (“Crystal”) Description: White/clear crystals/rocks; ‘crushed glass’ / ‘rock salt’

How does it enter your body? Smoked (base or crystal) Injected (cooked into a liquid) Swallowed (pill form) Snorted (powder)

What is in it? • Pseudoephedrine (cold medications) • Red phosphorus (matches or road flares) • Rubbing alcohol • Sulfuric acid (drain cleaner) • Toluene (brake cleaner) • Anhydrous ammonia (fertilizer) • Ephedrine (cold medications) • Ether (engine starter) • Hydrochloric acid (pool supply) • Iodine (salt flakes) • Kitty litter • Lithium (batteries) • Methanol (gasoline additive)

Toxic Effects of Manufacturing Fires Explosions Toxic gases Toxic waste

Dependence/Addiction Does it cause addiction? Yes! It is HIGHLY physically and psychologically addictive. Do you go through withdrawal? Yes! Severe Depression Anhedonia (cannot feel any pleasure)

Primarily causes its effects by causing a “flood” of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain

“Flood” produces: Euphoria Sense of invulnerability Sharpened/narrowed attention Talkative

Common physical effects: • Insomnia (can’t sleep) Weight loss Tremors Hyperthermia (“cook from the inside out”) Sharpened focus/attention… “I am going to re-model the bathroom…with this toothbrush”

Cardiovascular problems ↑ heart rate Palpitations Arrhythmia ↑ blood pressure Chest Pain Valve thickening

Respiratory problems ↑ Respirations Lung capacity especially when smoked

Kidney and Liver Toxicity Kidney failure Liver failure

Other problems Eye ulcers Tumors Birthing complications Anorexia Tooth decay “Meth Mouth”

Neurological & Psychological Effects Stereotyped behavior: “tweaking” Paranoia Irritability Hallucinations (“METH BUGS”) May present a clinical picture that is indistinguishable from paranoid schizophrenia

Who is using Methamphetamine? -Groups with high or increasing rates of Methamphetamine use: • Women • Adolescents • Predominantly Caucasian, Increasing Numbers of Hispanics • Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)

Lifetime Drug Use by Grade Level: LA County, 2002-03

Primary Drug Problem Among Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Admissions 18-25 years old <18 = 6,361 (10.8% of all admissions) 18-25 = 9,596 (16.3% of all admissions) <18 year olds: 59% marijuana, meth 12% 18-25 year olds: 36% meth26% marijuana 17 years and under

Dosage Medications such as Adderall (used to treat ADD/ ADHD) & Dexedrine (used to treat narcolepsy) typically prescribed at dosages of 10-40 mg/day Methamphetamine use by addicts typically 250-500 mg/day

Cost of Methamphetamine Price per gram ranges from $20-150 depending on area of the country Thus someone using 250 mg/day only needs to spend $5-35/day to support their habit Compare this to cocaine, on which habitual users often spend $100-300/day “Poor Man’s Cocaine”