Analysis Of Methamphetamine : A Love Story

“Meth, not even once” is a popular phrase that is associated with this drug. This drug has many known horrible effects associated with it, plus many effects more I am sure are going to be discovered over time. I am intending to cover the history, effects, the different categories of meth abuse, and the withdrawal effects of Methamphetamine in this paper, and what to do if you suspect someone you know is using meth.

“I want to be addicted to meth!” Have you ever heard anyone say this? While millions of people use methamphetamines, it would be difficult to find a person that had the desire to become addicted to it. Despite a radical increase in the number of people using this drug and the terrible consequences of doing so, it has recently propelled in popularity. Meth addiction is so common because the use of the drug is prevalent in many areas and because there is little knowledge about the risks involved. Few people comprehend the long-term effects of meth on the brain and the body. Methamphetamine is an extremely powerful drug and is so dangerous because it only takes one time to become seriously

The meth epidemic of the United States has been invasive and problematic from the time it was introduced from the early 1900’s until now. Though introduced through pharmaceutical companies for treatment from depression to colds, the drug has become one of America’s most addictive, abusive, and destructive drugs. The economy and the role of the government, as well as pharmaceutical companies, play the main role in how meth was introduced and the reason it is still abused today. The novel, by Nick Reding, titled Methland follows the effects of meth on a small town, but it also gives us insight in to how these three factors play a major role in the making, use, abuse, and distributing of this drug. This paper will follow the timeline of methamphetamine and what was going on in the economy as well as government action.

Sometimes people forget that methamphetamine hurts not only individuals, but families, neighborhoods and entire communities as well. You might not be using methamphetamine or know anyone who is - but that doesn't mean it's not having an effect on you. A methamphetamine lab can operate unnoticed in a neighborhood for years, causing serious health hazards to everyone around. The problems with meth are widespread. Children and the general public may be affected by the fumes from meth labs operating in or near their homes. The prison system is overwhelmed by the needs of incarcerated meth users. Hospital emergency departments (ED) report that meth is a significant drug problem. The cost of meth labs to society is large. A study done by the University of Arkansas found the cost to prevent abuse in one county to be around $20 million. Although many measures have been placed, abuse has been steadily increasing. In 2003, there was a 68% increase in workers who tested positive. Surprisingly, over 70% of users are actively employed. In particular, the lab problem is growing significantly in the Midwest and Mid Atlantic areas since they migrated from California in the early 80s.

The drug ice can leads to change people’s behaviour and increase violence and crime. It is commonly believed that “methamphetamine users had committed a violent crime in the preceding year” (Darke, Kaye, McKetin & Duflou, 2008, p. 258). There a strong relationship between HIV risk and using methamphetamine which leads to increase ability to crime (Mcketin, Dunlop, Holand, Sutherland, Baker, Salmon & Hudson, 2013, p. 82). According to Taylor et al. (2011, p. 318) meth users tend to make several crimes and violence activities which is common between meth users in drug market. Those users cannot control their aggressive expressions ( Darke et al., 2008). The rate of dependence and suicidal behaviour has been increased among methamphetamine users (Darke et al., 2008, p. 259). According to Mcketin et al., (2013, p. 80) “ It has been estimated that there are 97000 Australians dependent on stimulant drugs”. In fact, Taylor et al. (2011, p. 324) assert that personal relationships can be affected among addicted people with

In the article published in 2010, “Methamphetamine Discourse: Media, Law, and Policy”, written by Susan Boyd and Connie I. Carter, Boyd and Carter examine how individual and community beliefs about methamphetamine are influenced by various forms of media including article text, news photos, and headlines (220). More specifically, Boyd and Carter examine how media may be used to spread certain ideologies about drug use, the users, as well as the producers to the point where drug scares install and federal policies are adjusted (220). Through analysis of The Province (“The menace of crystal meth,” 2005), Boyd and Carter conclude that individuals involved in the drug trade, either as a user or as a producer, are often used to distract the public

A routine drive through a once normal neighborhood in a small town in Oregon was once a pleasing experience. Houses were neat and lawns were well kept. Businesses were running normally and everyday life was enjoyable. All this changed in 2005 as a very powerful and addictive drug became widely known and available to the community. People who once asked worked good jobs or were productive students had experienced life changing events. Children who had loving parents and had lived good childhoods began to be removed from their own homes and placed in foster care. Young adults who had lived normal lives based on strong morals and family traditions had resorted to criminal behavior and began to become locals at the county jails. A substance strong enough to alter an individual's behavior and with the power to forever change someones life had arrived. The Meth Epidemic (2012) directed by Carl Byker is an eye opening documentary into the devastating aftermath that was left in Oregon beginning in 2005.

Methamphetamine and Cocaine are two commonly negatively depicted substances, but a popular comparison is often placed between the pair. This comparison brings up the question, “Which is Worse?”. The answer to that question is Meth, and this article is going to explain why. To create a fair, unbiased juxtaposition of Meth and Coke, one must start by looking at the history of each. Important factors are when and how each “drug” came up in society. Other necessary characteristics one must analyze about each is the positives of each, but also the harmful effects of each. The final, and arguably most important aspect an individual must inspect is how society is affected by either meth or cocaine.

Throughout this paper I have gone in length of the history of meth. I have explained the high chemical imbalance for the human brain and how it can manipulate and change rational thought and

Still, Meth has a strong hold on individuals. Takes young adults for instance, most young adults are trying to adjust to the whole responsibility of being adults. Many have not figured out how to manage time properly and try to multitask to keep up with this fast-paced world. Some young adults turn to coffee for a boost of energy and some turn to drugs. There are many different drugs that young adults experiment with but none as high in demand as Methamphetamine. Not only is Meth an easy drug to come by, it is available to all age groups and social classes. In 2001 a study was held and submitted to the journal Addiction about Methamphetamine. The study shows that they interviewed 14,000 adults between the ages of 18-26 nationwide. The study showed that 3% of young adults have used Meth in the past year. That is double the 1.5% that was reported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) the year before. (Iritani, B. Addiction, July 2007; vol 102: pp 1102-1113) Because Meth affects the human body the same as Amphetamine, today young adults use’s the drug as a source of energy. Meth has become a college students “cup

Domestic violence and substance abuse reached new depths with the availability of crystal methamphetamine as the new leisure drug of the masses. Going by various street names such as speed, crank, glass, and ice, this demon drug knows no race, creed, or status and is all pervasive in its abuse. Unlike marijuana or cocaine that needs to be harvested and then processed to reach the markets, meth can be synthesized in make-shift labs in the basement or the garage with ingredients available in the neighborhood supermarkets.

Methamphetamines are produced in three main forms and categorised in decreasing order of purity: crystalline (‘ice’ and ‘crystal meth’), powder (‘speed’), and ‘base’ (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013; NSW Ministry of Health, 2013). They are highly concentrated and addictive drugs, especially in their most commonly found crystalline form (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013; Drug Free World, 2016a). 1 354 583 or 7% of Australians aged 14 years and over have used methamphetamines in their lifetime and of this proportion, 428 000, or 31.6% are either regular or dependent methamphetamine users (Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 2016b; Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014; Degenhardt, Larney, Chan, Dobbins, Weier, Roxburgh, Hall and McKetin, 2016). Methamphetamines are currently the world’s psychostimulants of choice, with use tripling in Australia from 2009-2014 (Degenhardt et al., 2016; Research and Trend Analysis Branch, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2016). This trend is highly alarming because Professor Nutt’s Multicriteria Decision Analysis finds methamphetamines to be the third most harmful drugs to

Personal relationships form the meth markets which can explain why some areas are engulfed with meth use compared to other areas which do not see meth use at all. In order to gain more insight within the meth market, the authors studied people who participated in meth markets and the people whose lives were directly affected by them; this significant research was sponsored by the The National Institute on Drug Abuse (Mulcahy & Brownstein, 2014).

There has been no doubt through the years that there is a clear relationship between drug use and crime. A large number of drug users are said to have suffered from a traumatic event or are suffering from a mental or psychological disorder (Hutson, 2007). These users are hoping to just make the pain go away or feel just a little happier for a short time. However, there is no clear cut way to determine which came first the drug use or the criminal activity. When discussing the possibilities that crime and drug use are related, there are three hypotheses that could be evaluated. The first of these hypotheses theorizes that crime is caused by the use of drugs. As a drug user becomes more dependent on the illegal substance or legally prescribed

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant; it enhances the neurotransmitter dopamine release in the centers of the brain. It also blocks the reuptake of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft to the presynaptic neuron. As a result, euphoria, mood swings and aggressiveness are common consequences of such over-activation of the neurotransmitter in the sensory input (Richards et al. 2016). Mood changes and depression of nerves firing action potentials are some of many health dangers of methamphetamine. The urge for methamphetamine increases from chronic use, therefore, its highly addictive with increasing proportions to achieve the same previous effect. Permanent damage to neurons is a major concern from methamphetamine since