1. Life +Meth --------- Death
A presentation by Laura Strom, M.S.
May 11, 2009
Presentation has graphic photos
Image retrieved May 5, 2009 from

2. What is meth?
An addictive stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine, but has longer lasting and more toxic effects on the central nervous system. It has a high potential for abuse and addiction.
Street names: Speed, meth, chalk, ice, crystal, glass
From National Institute on Drug Abuse
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3. How is it used?
According to Wikipedia, the bioavailability of meth is:
62.7% oral
79% nasal
90.3% smoked
99% rectally
100% IV
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4. How is meth made? Mainly manufactured in California and Mexico
Commonly found chemicals that can be purchased legally such as Toluene/paint thinner, methanol, benzene, ethyl ether, camp stove fuel (Coleman fuel), starting fluid (Heet), ammonia, iodine crystals, ephedrine or pseudoephedrine (cold medicine), drain cleaner (Drano, Red Devil Lye), red phosphorous, muriatic and hydrochloric acid and battery (sulphuric) acid.
“Cooking” leads to dangerous gases released
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5. What is a meth high like?
In lab experiments done on animals:
SEX causes dopamine levels to jump from 100 to 200 units,
COCAINE causes them to spike to 350 units.
METH - release from the base level to about 1,250 units,
“…something that's about 12 times as much of a release of dopamine as you get from food and sex and other pleasurable activities“ Dr. Richard Rawson
"This really doesn't occur from any normally rewarding activity. That's one of the reasons why people, when they take methamphetamine, report having this euphoric [feeling] that's unlike anything they've ever experienced." Dr. Richard Rawson
Then, when the drug wears off, users experience profound depression and feel the need to keep taking the drug to avoid the crash.
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6. Short term signs of meth use
•  Stimulated movement and speech (hyperactive, staccato, "motor mouth", agitated)
•  Dilated pupils
•  Feelings of intense excitement and euphoria
•  Lack of sleep, no desire to sleep
•  Increased energy
•  Mood swings, irritability, nervousness
•  Increased heart rate and blood pressure
•  Chest pain, heart palpitations, hot flashes, dry mouth, sweating
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7. Long term signs of meth use
•  Mental Confusion
•  Deteriorating school grades or work performance
•  Aggressiveness, violence, emotional lability
•  Weight loss (women & young women sometimes start the drug for this)
•  Sores on face, arms (formication - "crank bugs“ feeling insects under the skin)
•  Diarrhea, vomiting
•  Hallucinations, paranoia
•  Tremors or shaking, convulsions
•  Staying awake for long periods (e.g. several days)
•  Sleeping for long periods, sometimes days (after being awake for long periods)
•  Hypertension
•  Palpitations, cardiac arrhythmia
•  Dental decay
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8. What causes “meth mouth”
Dry mouth is result of depleted saliva glands from acidic smoke
When users smoke meth, the HCl acid in the drug erodes their tooth enamel
Users are dehydrated and crave sweets
Loss of tooth enamel, a constant sweet tooth and a disregard for brushing
Leads to "meth mouth" with teeth that are little more than little black stubs
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Both images
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9. What is “tweaking”?
Tweaking occurs at the end of the binge when nothing the abuser does will take away the feeling of emptiness and dysphoria, including taking more methamphetamine. Tweaking is very uncomfortable, and the abuser often takes a depressant to ease the bad feelings. The most popular depressant is alcohol, with heroin a close second.
Tweaking is the most dangerous stage of the methamphetamine abuse cycle to law enforcement officers and other individuals near the abuser. If the abuser is using alcohol to ease the discomfort, the threat to law enforcement officers intensifies.
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May 5, 2009 from
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10. Meth v. Cocaine Meth Cocaine Human-made
Smoking produces a high that lasts 8-24 hours
50% is removed from the body in 12 hours
Limited medical use
Cocaine
Plant derived
Smoking produces a high that lasts minutes
50% is removed from the body in 1 hour
Used as local anesthetic in some surgical procedures
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11. Brain damage by meth “When addicts use meth over and over again, the
drug actually changes
their brain chemistry,
destroying the wiring in
the brain's pleasure
centers and making it
increasingly impossible
to experience any
pleasure at all.”
Brain scan images from Dr. Volkow's study. Image copyright Nora Volkow/American Journal of Psychiatry. Image retrieved May 5, 2009 from
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12. Brain damage by meth
“The human brain on meth does not look like fried eggs. It looks more like the night sky over Baghdad during the first weeks of the war.”
Quote from David Sheff, author, Beautiful Boy, p. 134 referring to PET/MRI scans of meth addicts by Dr. Edythe London, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA

13. Brain damage by meth
Study by Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
After more than a year's sobriety, these former meth users still showed
severe impairment in memory,
judgment and motor coordination,
similar to symptoms seen in individuals suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
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14. Cost of creating meth According to StopMethAddiction.com
Meth Statistics #8: The estimated cost of making meth is $100 an ounce, with a street value of $800 an ounce.
Meth Statistics #22: Methamphetamine's street value is approximately $3,000 per pound (about the size of a brick), while the price of cocaine is roughly $11,000 per pound.

15. Cost of meth to society Increased domestic violence
Child abuse/neglect
Traffic accidents
Theft/crime
Lab clean up costs approximately $10K each
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16. “Broken” by Seether
The video “Broken” by Seether was filmed on the location of an actual meth lab explosion and can be seen on You Tube.
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17. Recovery
“…meth addicts may be unable, not unwilling, to participate in many common treatments, at least in the early stages of withdrawal. Rather than a moral failure or a lack of willpower, dropping out and relapsing may be a result of a damaged brain.”
David Sheff quoting Dr. Edythe London’s work in Beautiful Boy, p. 135.

18. Recovery
“…severe cognitive impairments may make patients incapable of participating in therapies that require concentration, logic and memory. Also, patients with extremely high levels of depression and anxiety, and who are suffering a type of ‘chronic agony,’ as London describes it, are at a major disadvantage when taking part in cognitive and behavioral treatments.”
David Sheff quoting Dr. Edythe London’s work in Beautiful Boy, p. 135.

19. Recovery Detox takes 4-6 weeks Physical cravings for up to a year
Intensifying cravings at 3 month intervals
Strong psychological addiction
Most difficult addiction to treat
Addict does not want to give up something that makes them feel “so good”
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20. Henry Ohlhoff House (SF) Recovery Philosophy – ohlhoff.org
We offer a strong, structured model of accountability and support which empowers clients and their families to take control of their lives. Based on the belief that addiction cannot be cured in isolation, we combine the critical components of recovery into a unique, success-oriented approach:
Providing a social model of reintegration into the community
Emphasizing that recovery is spiritually based
Building a lasting community through the 12-Step principles
Operating from the clinical conviction that addiction is a family disease; therefore addresses the entire family, not just the addicted person
Requiring clients to be active participants in their own recovery
Relapse Prevention
Discharge Planning
Aftercare

21. Issues for VR Counselors
Clients must be firmly in recovery
Clients may have issues similar to Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, ADHD
Careful placement to avoid prior drug triggers
Testing to evaluate cognitive functioning
Client should be networked with good support on multiple fronts

22. Meth use over 10 years
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23. National Resources Alcoholics Anonymous www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
Narcotics Anonymous
Al-Anon
Alateen
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Council on Alcohol and other Drug Addictions – Bay Area

24. A Few Local Resources 211 by United Way www.211bayarea.org
Great booklet by 211 “Help for Hard Times”
Haight Ashbury Free Clinics
Salvation Army Drug and Rehab Services
Ohlhoff Recovery Programs SF