METHAMPHETAMINE Over the past several years, methamphetamine (also called crank, meth, crystal) abuse has grown into America's first major homegrown drug crisis. Unlike cocaine and heroin, meth can be made in a kitchen sink with easily obtainable items such as cold medicine and batteries. It is also cheaper than other drugs, and only a small amount is needed to produce an intense, long lasting high. The intense euphoria produced by meth makes it highly addictive. This combination of addictiveness and accessibility has caused an epidemic of methamphetamine producers, sellers, and users across the U.S. What is Crank? Crank is a street name for methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is an artificial chemical substance. There are dozens of street names for methamphetamine, including: crank, crystal, meth, ice, speed, glass, chalk What does it look like? Methamphetamine is a powder, sometimes made into capsules or pills. Sometimes people just snort the powder. There's a crystallized version that people smoke, and it can be made into a liquid that people inject. What does taking it feel like? Methamphetamine users feel a short yet intense "rush" when the drug is initially administered. The effects of methamphetamine include increased activity, decreased appetite, and a sense of well being that can last from 20 minutes to 12 hours. Is it addictive? Methamphetamine is highly addictive and users trying to abstain from use may suffer withdrawal symptoms that include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, and intense cravings for the drug. Chronic methamphetamine use can cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Users can also exhibit psychotic behavior including auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, and paranoia, possibly resulting in homicidal or suicidal thoughts. How can I get help for myself or someone else who has a methamphetamine problem? Here are some hotlines where you can get help for yourself or someone who has a drug problem National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Hopeline 1-800-622-2255 Provide information and referrals to local services, including counseling and treatment. You can also use their online treatment facility locator Covenant House Nineline for Kids and Parents 1-800-999-9999 Kids and parents can reach out any time of the day or night for free, confidential, and immediate help. Girls and Boys Town National Hotline 1-800-448-3000 Counselors available anytime to talk. Where can I get more information about methamphetamine and other drugs Visit the Network for Good page on crank:click here Effects on the Brain Methamphetamine works by causing the brain to release high levels of dopamine, one of the chemicals responsible for the sensation of pleasure. This spike in dopamine levels is extremely pleasurable, and it's what makes meth so addictive.3 New studies are revealing that meth abuse is far more harmful to the brain than originally thought. Over time, methamphetamine use causes a sharp decrease in the brain's ability to produce dopamine. This damage can lead to an actual loss of enjoyment of life.4 A 2001 study suggested that methamphetamine also damages areas of the brain which control learning, memory, and movement. For this reason, meth is especially harmful to children as it severely impairs their ability to learn.5 A recent study has also shown that meth used in combination with loud dance music may cause more brain damage than just meth alone. It is feared that meth may be gaining popularity in the club scene. Various forms of meth are turning up with increasing frequency at raves and clubs in large Western cities including Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.6 Effects on the Body Meth can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Whatever the method of consumption, meth is a highly toxic substance that has dramatic effects on the body. These effects include a rapid, irregular heartbeat, as well as damage to small blood vessels in the brain that can cause stroke. An overdose of methamphetamine can produce hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), convulsions, and death. Recent studies from Europe indicate that meth injectors may be at an even higher risk of contracting HIV than heroin injectors. One reason sited is that meth increases sexual interest, as opposed to heroin, which dampens sexual interest. Meth does a lot of damage to people who use it. (As a matter of fact, death may not be the worst of its potential effects.) And you can find out about that type of thing in symptoms, and detecting a user. But users aren't the only ones who are affected. In statistics, you'll find some of the other effects of meth. Meth labs regularly blow up in ordinary neighborhoods, damaging ordinary people who may not even know what meth is. And then there's meth-related crime. Its victims aren't limited to users of meth either. The truth is you don't necessarily have to be involved with meth to feel its effects.   The Homegrown Drug Unlike most other drugs, meth can be produced with easily obtained, legal substances. It is created primarily in small home-based labs, usually located in rural areas where the intense smells produced by cooking meth are less likely to attract attention. However, there are new chemicals coming out that don't produce such incriminatingly strong smells. This has resulted in an increase in urban-based meth labs as well. The Dangers of Meth Labs The chemicals used in making methamphetamine are extremely dangerous. Industrial chemicals like anhydrous ammonia are extremely volatile, and meth labs frequently explode. Several of the chemicals used in cooking meth are highly corrosive, and will eat through skin, right to the bone. Toxic fumes produced when cooking are also a concern. Child Victims Adult methamphetamine users often become so obsessed by the drug that they neglect their children. Police finding children in meth lab raids often find them malnourished, naked, and exposed to toxic chemicals. Prevention Currently there are no known pharmacological agents to treat methamphetamine addiction. Behavioral therapy is the only available treatment. These behavioral treatments seek to modify the patient's expectancies, behavior, and skills in coping with stress. Because meth addiction is so difficult to treat once it takes hold, prevention is key. Educating parents so that they can educate their children about the dangers of methamphetamine is crucial. Director of the Lindsmith Center Marsha Rosenbaum suggests reasoning with children about the danger of drugs, as opposed to scare tactics. "I wanted to know why risky teen sexual activity decreased while drug use rose. A look at our sex and drug education offers an answer , we try to reason with teens about sex, but we scare them about drugs." Sources: www.theantidrug.com Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Office of National Drug Control Policy Monitoring the Future - University of Michigan U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

Under 18 years old 24% 18-23 years old 35% 23-30 years old 19% 30-40 years old 13% Over 40 years old 6%               _____________ History of methamphetamine & amphetamine timeline     Jan 18, 1887     Amphetamine was first synthesized by German chemist L. Edeleano and originally named phenylisopropylamine   1919     Methamphetamine, more potent and easy to make, was discovered in Japan   1930's   Amphetamines are first marketed as 'Benzedrine' in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat congestion.   1937   Amphetamine is first available in tablet form by prescription for use in the treatment of narcolepsy and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).   World War II   Amphetamine widely distributed to soldiers to help them keep fighting.   1942   Dextro-amphetamine and methamphetamine become commonly available.   1970   Amphetamine becomes illegal with the passage of the 'U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act of 1970'   Table 2. Number of methamphetamine-related deaths* by gender, race/ethnicity, and age: 1992–1996   1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total Mentions† 234 382 492 488 487 Gender Male 182 307 394 375 380 Female 50 71 97 94 94 Race/Ethnicity Caucasian 191 304 394 375 380 Black 12 21 26 24 20 Hispanic 22 43 59 75 68 Other 8 5 13 14 19 Age 6–17 2 4 9 9 8 18–25 28 54 80 67 71 26–34 76 133 156 148 122 35 or older 127 190 243 258 280 * Excludes data on homicides, deaths in which AIDS was reported, and deaths in which “drug unknown” was the only substance mentioned. _______________________________ Some of the symptoms of methamphetamine use are: Sleeplessness Loss of appetite and weight loss Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Elevated body temperature Skin ulceration and infection, the result of picking at imaginary bugs Paranoia Depression Irritability Anxiety Increased blood pressure Seizures For pregnant women - premature labor detachment of the placenta, and low birth weight babies with possible neurological damage. For intravenous (IV) users -AIDS, hepatitis infections and sores at the injection site, and' infection of the heart lining and valves. Oct. 9, 1999 Provided by a reader in New York: March 28, 2000 Provided by a reader in the Bay Area of California: 1/4 gram - $60 1/2 gram - $120 1 gram - $240 1/4 gram - $20 1 gram - $80