What is Crystal Meth?
Crystal meth or methamphetamine is a highly addictive amphetamine and has effects similar to that of cocaine. Methamphetamine is usually a white, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder which dissolves easily in water or alcohol. It can be swallowed, smoked, injected or snorted. It is an synthetic (man-made) drug, and can be manufactured locally using ephedrine or pseudo-ephedrine (the active ingredient in cold medications) and other chemicals, including acetone, drain cleaner, lithium, iodine, paint thinner, kerosene, red phosphorous and muriatic acid.
Methamphetamine acts on the area of the brain that regulates feelings of pleasure. Methamphetamine causes the brain to be flooded with the neurotransmitter dopamine, producing feelings of euphoria which last from 2 to 24 hours. The drug may also produce feelings of increased energy, heightened concentration and alertness, suppressed fatigue and hunger, as well as feelings of confidence, anxiety, aggression, depression and paranoia.
Tolerance to the effects of methamphetamine builds up quickly, and users need more and more of the drug to achieve the desired effect. Brain imaging studies have found that continued use creates damage to the brain that is similar to that caused by strokes or Alzheimer's disease. The extent of the lasting effects on the developing brain of youth is unknown but research points to the potential of irreparable damage to the brain. In addition, the drug can produce psychotic symptoms, such as paranoia and delusions, in a user that persist for months or years after a person has stopped using the drug.
Significant adverse effects come with methamphetamine use. These can include minor physical effects such as irritability, nervousness, insomnia nausea, hot flashes, heart palpitations and hypertension — or more severe effects including seizures, convulsions, extreme anxiety, repetitive compulsive behaviours, hallucinations, paranoia, violence, psychosis, cognitive impairment and changes to brain chemistry and structure. In extreme cases methamphetamine can cause hyperthermia, cardiovascular system collapse, stroke, coma and death. Similarly, as dosage and quality control are absent in production, there is a greater potential for overdose with the drug.
Crystal meth users are also at risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B and C and other blood-borne viruses if they inject the drug intravenously. Due to the corrosive nature of the chemicals used in the production of the drug, users also may suffer severe tooth decay and loss or irreparable damage to the lining of the nose if they smoke or snort the drug.
Despite the potentially serious health conditions that result from use, people continue to be attracted to crystal meth and there are reports that use of the drug is on the rise. The combination of the effects of methamphetamine and the fact that it is much cheaper than other illicit drugs, make it a drug of choice for street-involved youth, gay men and young adults in the party/rave scene.
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