Essay about Drug Abuse

Ice, crank, meth, crystal, tweak, go fast otherwise known as Crystal Methamphetamine, in the United States is at epidemic levels. 1

The addiction of methamphetamine amongst juvenile’s and adults has reached epidemic proportions that affect the individual, families and communities. Methamphetamine abuse has crossed all social economic boundaries that have negatively impacted law enforcement, social and clinical services. According to Anglin, Burke, Perrochet, Stamper and Dawud-Noursi (2000), methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal, or speed, is a substance that affects the central nervous system creating a stimulant effect that can be injected, smoked, snorted, or ingested orally. Individuals who use meth for an extensive period of time tend to become addicted and will likely need to continue to use meth at high levels for its effects to continue to provide the euphoric symptoms and sensations. Anglin, et al, also describe methamphetamine as a derivative of amphetamine, this form of amphetamine was often used for medication purposes in the 1950’s and 1960’s to treat symptoms of depression and obesity. Durell, Kroutil, Crits-Christoph, Barchha, and Van Brunt (2008), also stated that illicit methamphetamine use is a public health concern in the United States with an increase use among teens and young adults in the 1990s. The Mental Health Services Administration conducted a national survey on meth use in the United States and found that currently as least a half a million of Americans used or have used methamphetamine. Meth use is an epidemic that is slowly becoming a destructive

Painful sores, ulcers, and inflammation may develop without saliva to act as a buffer (Kelsch 22). In addition to decay in the teeth, bone loss and gum disease is frequent because of constriction of the blood vessels. When the blood vessels of the periodontium are constricted repeatedly, they will eventually be unable to recover and ultimately cause the dental tissue to break down (Kelsch 21). Bruxism is another condition that is often found in methamphetamine users. When meth users are active in their drug use, they report to have a tendency to grind their teeth and clench their jaws. This is often during the period of time when the effects are wearing off and they begin “tweaking”. This stage is characterized by irritability, restlessness and anxiety (Goodchild and Donaldson 586). Apart from the deterioration of the oral cavity, it is important to note the short and long term effects of meth use. Short term use includes high blood pressure and heart rate, constriction of blood vessels, and cardiac arrhythmia. With longer use possibly causing long-term neuronal damage, memory loss, stroke, heart infections, cardiac arrest, psychosis, brain damage, and higher incidence of HIV and Parkinson’s disease (Kelsch

23. The illicit manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine in the United States today is due to the involvement of…

Methamphetamines (Meth) cause a wide array of problems with its users, a lot of which are permanent. Meth’s affects range from neurological issues, alertness, paranoia, and aggression. It also leads to psychological and physical disorders. Because Meth is a stimulant, it can cause the user to be up for days and even weeks at a time causing stress to the body and can result in over exerting oneself and inevitably something will give. Personal problems from users will be talked about, as well as scientific studies on the Meth epidemic.

Methadone comes from the country German. Back in 1947 they ran short of the drug morphine and had to pass out methadone. When Methadone was introduced into United States it was introduced as an “analgesic (Dolophine)”. Methadone soon became a popular medical drug in United States.

The abuse of methamphetamine is a very serious problem in the United States. According to one national survey, approximately 10 million people in the United States have tried methamphetamine at least once (Meth Abuse and Addiction, 2010). Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Although most of the methamphetamine used in this country comes from foreign or domestic super labs, the drug is also easily made in small clandestine laboratories, with inexpensive over the counter ingredients. Methamphetamine is commonly known as “speed,” “meth,” and “chalk.” In its smoked form it is often referred to as “ice,” “crystal,” “crank,” and “glass.” It is a

Methamphetamine is the most addictive drug used today. It appeals to people of all ages, and is not a respecter of person. It is creating a society with no future. Unless we as a society can contain and stop this issue, there will be no hope. What is the federal government doing to stop this problem? How are Pharmaceutical companies reacting to this issue? What are the effects on the general public? This is just some of the issues that were discussed in Frontline’s ‘The Meth Epidemic’ video. We will attempt to answer these questions throughout this paper.

“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 abuse of methamphetamines in the United States seems to have started during the “Great Depression” and increased during WWI, WWII, and Viet Nam. Many times, amphetamines were prescribed by the government and the military to keep fighting soldiers going. After returning from their tour of duty, many soldiers returned home addicted to the drug. Also during the 50’s and 60’s, amphetamines were being used as a weight loss medication. But eventually began to be abused by the users.

While driving down a road in Montana, exploring, someone would notice the paintings and sculptures that read “Meth, not even once” or something as simple as “Montana Meth Project.” The Montana Meth Project has become Montana’s way to stomp out Montana’s meth problem. Some history on methamphetamine include “Amphetamine was first made in 1887 in Germany and methamphetamine, more potent and easy to make, was developed in Japan in 1919”(Drug-Free).There has been a decrease in meth users in the past years, “The United States government reported in 2008 that approximately 13 million people over the age of 12 have used methamphetamine—and 529,000 of

In 1887, amphetamines were first produced in Germany and largely forgotten for forty years. In 1919, methamphetamine, a synthetic stimulant was developed by Japanese pharmacologist, A. Ogata. The drug helped with alertness and well-being. In the 1930 's, methamphetamines were widely used to treat bronchial diseases and narcolepsy. The American Medical Association approved a tablet form in 1935 for ADHD. During WWII, German and Japanese pilots used methamphetamines to stay awake during long flights, while the U.S and U.K used amphetamines. After the war, Japan saw an epidemic of methamphetamine abuse. The drug was still being used legally into the 1950 's and 1960 's by everyone from homemakers to truck drivers for alertness and weight loss. In 1970 methamphetamines became regulated in the Controlled Substances Act and a public education campaign was mounted to educate people about the dangers of the drug. Starting in the 1980 's and into the 1990 's the drug became extremely popular in the southwest,

While drug abuse is not new to the 21st century, the meth epidemic that plagued Oregon and spread rapidly to other parts of the United States has attracted a lot of attention from the communities and the law enforcement. There has been a rapid rise in the use of Meth amongst young people. The Frontline documentary film The Meth Epidemic displays a country under attack by the drug epidemic. The well-researched documentary displays the changes that meth addicts go through over the years as the drug takes a negative toll on them. The documentary further displays the meth-linked criminal activities that have plagued Oregon and even spread to other states across the United States.

In the postwar period, numerous women in the United States and the United Kingdom used methamphetamine as a means of fighting depression, losing weight, and as an aid to the monotonous daily conclusion of household chores, hence the label “mother 's little helper.” In Japan, widespread abuse of methamphetamine left over from World War II finally resulted in the passageway of the Drugs Control Law in 1951. In the United States, amphetamine and methamphetamine increased in popularity throughout the 1960s and a significant black market emerged in California. Its growth was given an unintentional boost by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which greatly constricted the legal means of obtaining amphetamines (DRAUS, P. J. 2004). Draus stated that the growth of meth was intentional.

A person’s body, in almost every aspect of its being, is addicted when one is a mild to chronic user and abuser. The nervous system, brain, and muscle tissue are all living in anticipation of the next high. So, for the addict, it is crucial that the cycle of behavior, is broken. The addict needs to pull up the anchor that keeps them from moving forward. This means changing environments, patterns and even sometimes friends and social associates.