preview

Meth Research Paper

Good Essays
Open Document

Speed, stove top, biker’s coffee or hot ice, there are many names for Methamphetamines. They are cheap and provide a fast-powerful high that makes it attractive to users. Meth is an intensely addictive stimulant and it perilously affects the central nervous system. Use of the drug can quickly lead to addiction and prolonged use creates a variety of serious health and social problems for individuals and their families.
Methamphetamines are a close relative to amphetamines because they have the same chemical structure. Amphetamines were first synthesized in 1887 by a chemist named Lazar Edenleanu. The compound included Ma-Huange (a plant from China) and ephedrine. In the 1920’s it had its first medical purpose. It was used to dilate the …show more content…

High demand for amphetamines continued through the 1950’s and early 60’s. They were widely used by truck drivers who needed to drive long hauls at night and by high school and college students who needed to stay awake to cram for a big test. Our U.S. military still dispenses amphetamines today. It was used by doctors who worked long hours at the hospital and by athletes who needed more energy. Estimated sales in 1941 was about $500,000 but by the war years (WWII) sales reached more than $2 million. Finally, in 1965 amphetamine inhalers were removed from OTC sales and made a prescription only drug. (amphetamines.com). Finally, in 1971, Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, which then classified amphetamines and methamphetamines as a Schedule II drug. This is the most restricted category for prescription drugs. There was now a higher demand for black market methamphetamines. (drugpolicy.org). Ephedrine was still sold OTC and became the active ingredient to this illicit drug. In 2004 states began applying stronger restrictions on sales of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine containing products. In September 2006, the Federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 restricted the retail sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products nationwide. Medications that were once OTC were now kept behind pharmacy counters and …show more content…

It doesn’t matter if you inject it, snort it, or smoke it, this “psychostimulant has acute physiological effects: cardiovascular problems, emaciation, and brain damage, as well as psychological effects such as anxiety and paranoia.” (Brownstein). Chronic meth users often exhibit violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia and psychotic features including paranoia, aggression, visual and auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances and delusions and the sensation of insects creeping on or under the skin, causing “meth mites”. Even in small amounts meth can result in increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, rapid breathing and heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and hyperthermia (overheating). In High doses, it can elevate body temperature to dangerous even lethal levels and cause convulsions, cardiovascular collapse and death. Abuse also causes extreme anorexia, memory loss, severe dental problems, stroke and multiple organ problems or failure.

Get Access