ID a User
January 27, 2009
There are several ways of identifying a meth user. Listed below is a generalized list of symptoms of a meth user, keep in mind that just because a person is experiencing the symptoms listed below does not automatically mean that they are using meth
Users may experience:
- agitation
- excited speech
- decreased appetites
- increased physical activity levels
- (Other common symptoms include dilated pupils, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and elevated body temperature).
Occasional episodes of sudden and violent behavior, intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and bouts of insomnia. A tendency to compulsively clean and groom and repetitively sort and disassemble objects such as cars and other mechanical devices.
Other symptoms include:
- increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration
- flushed or tense appearance
- dilated pupils
- bloodshot eyes
- a chemical odor on their breath
- excessive sweating
- rapid speech
- inability to sleep or eat
- severe weightloss
- rotting teeth
- scars and open sores
- paranoia
- hallucinations (often times auditory)
- repetitive behavior
- memory loss
- depression
- psychosis
- teeth grinding
- restlessness
- tremors
- Increased heart rate
- Elevated body temperature
- Flushed or tense appearance
- Loss of appetite
- Panic attacks
- False sense of confidence
- Loss of pleasure
- Excessive talking
- Dry mouth
- Aggressive behavior
- Open sores or blemishes
- Distorted sense of time
Highs and Health Hazards for the User
January 21, 2009
Meth is a powerfully intense stimulant that creates a euphoric and energetic feeling. It releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. A cocaine high lasts about 15-20 minutes, while a meth high lasts 2-14 hours. On the street it is known as crank, speed, crystal or ice. It can be a whitish or pale yellow crystal-like powder that can be chewed, ingested, injected, snorted or smoked.Meth is highly addictive, personality altering and can cause violent, bizarre behavior. Other effects on the central nervous system include irritability, insomnia, confusion and paranoia. Meth robs the body of calcium and appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time meth appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson’s disease and type-two schizophrenia. Meth causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes. Other effects of meth include respiratory problems, irregular heartbeat and extreme anorexia. Its use can result in cardiovascular collapse and death. Exerpt from NMTF
It was not until 1988 that ice became widespread in Hawaii. By 1990, ice spread to the U.S. mainland, although distribution remained limited to retail amounts in just a few regions of the country. In the early 1990s, Koreans served as the principal supply source for ice that was smuggled from Asia directly to Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Intelligence data indicates that traffickers from Mexico are supplying Asian organizations/gangs on the West Coast and in Hawaii with methamphetamine for conversion to ice.
Analysis of all samples of ice seized to date in the United States have shown purity levels of 90 to almost 100 percent. In 1996, ice sold for $200 to $450 per gram, from $5,000 to $8,500 per ounce and $35,000 to $50,000 per kilogram. Abusers in the United States ingested ice almost exclusively by smoking the drug in glass pipes
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. There are a few accepted medical reasons for its use, such as the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, and for short-term use obesity; but these medical uses are limited.
Crank refers to any form of methamphetamine. Ice is a crystallized smokeable chunk form of methamphetamine that produces a more intense reaction than cocaine or speed. Ice has an appearance that is clear and crystal-like, and resembles frozen ice water. Crank and ice are extremely addictive and produce a severe craving for the drug.
Methamphetamine Use
January 21, 2009
Traditionally, methamphetamine users have suffered the same addiction cycle and withdrawal reactions as those suffered by crack cocaine users. Both drugs, after prolonged use, lead to bingeing, which is consuming the drug continuously for up to 3 days without sleep. The user then is driven into a severe depression, followed by worsening paranoia, belligerence, and aggression, which is a period known as tweaking. Finally, the user collapses from exhaustion, only to awaken days later to begin the cycle again.The new ephedrine-based methamphetamine has a usage pattern unlike that of traditional methamphetamine or crack cocaine. Several times more potent than its other forms, today’s methamphetamine produces a reaction far more severe than even crack cocaine, with sleepless binges that last up to 15 days and end with sudden crashes. Chronic, high-dose methamphetamine abusers, often called “speed freaks,” are generally undernourished and have a gaunt appearance, poor hygiene, and rotten teeth. These individuals inject methamphetamine every 2 to 3 hours and often as much as 1,000 milligrams each time. Due to the high level of methamphetamine in their systems, “speed freaks” are extremely paranoid.
“The main problem remains, and will remain, the use of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs,” said Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos.”And the worst part is when they get hopped up on meth and commit violence.”
Pharmacology
January 21, 2009
Methamphetamine can be a lethal, dangerous, and unpredictable drug. Methamphetamine, like cocaine, is a potent central nervous system stimulant. It can be smoked, snorted, injected, or taken orally; the most frequent method of methamphetamine use is injection. The drug increases the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and rate of breathing; dilates the pupils; produces euphoria, increased alertness, a sense of increased energy, and tremors. High doses or chronic use have been associated with increased nervousness, irritability, and paranoia. Withdrawal from high doses produces severe depression.Drug-related violence usually occurs in one of three ways: by users under the influence of the drug, by users who commit violent acts to obtain money or more of the drug, and by distributors who use violence in the course of conducting their business.
Every community with a methamphetamine abuse problem has experienced violence in some form; most commonly this appears as domestic disputes. The extreme agitation and paranoia associated with use of the stimulant often lead to situations where violence is more likely to occur. Chronic use of methamphetamine can cause delusions and auditory hallucinations that precipitate violent behavior or response.
Methamphetamine and Pregnancy
January 21, 2009
If methamphetamines are used during pregnancy, babies tend to be:
- asocial
- incapable of bonding
- have tremors
- have birth defects
- cry for 24 hours without stopping
There is also an increased risk of child abuse and neglect of children born to parents who use methamphetamines.