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
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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.
1. At about what periods in history did cocaine reach its first and second peaks of popularity, and when was amphetamine’s popularity at its highest? Cocaine -late 19th century and early 20th amphetamine- 1960s (Hart & Ksir, p. 125)
Due to the impaired state while using meth, when a user is irritable they start to lose patience for others. This is dangerous because users don’t understand the amount of force they use if they were to hit someone, or worse, what the consequence would be if they were to have a deadly weapon. Anxiety is also a big issue with users; they feel that they are invincible and they want something to do. Some users have gone as far as believing they can fly; so they jump off a building or out a window. The irregular heart rate can be deadly if you have any type of minor heart disease. Finally, the increase in physical activity puts others in
Methadone belongs to the class/family of drugs known as opioids, methadone is a synthetic opioid (it is made from chemicals in a lab) that was first developed in the 1960’s in Germany to treat and mask pain, however it became more popular
Crystal meth, we’ve might’ve heard of it from time to time, but what exactly is it? Crystal methamphetamine has become a widespread epidemic across the United States. Methamphetamine crosses all barriers in today’s society, culturally, socially, and economically. The abuse of this drug and its negative oral effects have become all too familiar amongst dentist and dental healthcare workers. Meth last much longer than crack cocaine and although it is much cheaper to purchase, it is much more hazardous and possibly even deadlier to process. The abuse of this drug leads its victims to have an accelerated physical appearance and devastating oral effects known as Meth Mouth.
Methadone is a high risk for abuse. It work in the brain to change how your body feels and how it responds to pain. If one take Methadone, they will start to vomit, shaking, diarrhea, and failure to gain any weight. If someone is not using this drug correctly they will have crucial consequences. It is advised that, methadone should only be use the correct way. If you brain gets addicted to methadone and one decides to stop taking it for awhile. One may suffer from mood swings, particularly because the supply of the drug gets
Meth was based off the German-made amphetamine. Later in 1919, the Japanese found out methamphetamine was easier to make and more potent. It was used with both sides of World War II as an injection to keeps troops awake for things like suicide missions with Kamikaze suicide pilots. After the war though, it became available to the public in Japan.
Meth, also known as methamphetamine, is a man made drug with some nasty effects that change your body physically and chemically. Physical change is the change in shape, size, and color, it affects the structure of the substances, not the substance itself. A chemical change is changing the substance, this creates new substances and is irreversible. Chopping wood is a physical change as it’s still wood, just in a different shape, burning it on the other hand is chemical change, you can’t un-burn wood, this also creates new substances like ash and carbon. The article “The Horrors of Meth Use” talks about the effects meth has on your body, it shows and tells you what happens when someone is on meth. Meth affects you physically and chemically, again, these things are not the same, there are differences between the two, these changed may seem like they’re chemical but may be physical and vice versa.
It was developed in Japan in 1919 with little research for what it could do to the body. Methamphetamine was easily used because it could be dissolved in water making it have the characterization of an injectable drug. During World War 2, between 1939 and 1945, Meth was used at large amounts to keep soldiers awake and alert. They didn't know that they were really giving these soldiers an addicting high. During the 1950s it was then diagnosed as an antidepressant and a diet aid making it more commonly used. By the 1960s it was being abused even more due to the fact that it was a common drug that was able to be used as medicine (“Foundation for a Drug Free World”). It was also easier to access. Today Meth is transported to the US by Mexico. It is produced in large laboratories in Mexico but is also produced here in the US in toxic labs which explains how bad it is alone. Meth was used in the past like it was good for us and no big deal but now the real dangers and risks are known for this
Even though Desoxyn (pharmaceutical grade of methamphetamine) is a medication advised for weight reduction, ADHD, narcolepsy and depression. Methamphetamine is a life-threatening dangerous drug. because it 's highly addictive stimulant that burns up the body’s resources, creating a devastating dependence that can only be relieved by taking more of the drug. In addition when repeatedly taken over time, methamphetamine can damage nerve cells located in the brain’s pleasure center, causing irreversible harm to the brain. Making meth is also, an extreme hazard because meth labs produce severely toxic fumes. So toxic that homes/locations priorly containing meth labs can not be resold for an extensive period of time. The epidemic of methamphetamine abuse, causes devastating damage to teeth and oral tissues. Considering I want to be a dental hygienist, it important that I know what to look for, how to treat, and how it affects my patients.
Amphetamine was first marketed in the 1930’s under a different name (Dexamyl) as an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal congestion.2 By 1937, amphetamine was available by prescription. During World War II, amphetamine was widely used to keep soldiers operative.3 Now spreading fast into mainstream culture, meth was originally used by bikers and truckers to stay awake on long journeys.4
Generally, a person will go through a cycle of predictable behavior after starting meth. Immediately after taking it the user will feel a rush which involves the most exhilarating feelings. Next, they experience the high which can last for several hours. The actual rush and high is what everyone is trying to achieve. In order to keep this high the user will often binge, meaning they will continue to take meth for hours. This binge can last for days. Eventually the user will experience “tweaking” which may cause the user to become violent or delusional. Finally the user will experience the crash. Since the addict has been using meth for several days they may have had little or no sleep and their bodies have become
Methamphetamine was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. There are a few accepted medical reasons for its use, such as the treatment of narcolepsy and ADD, but these uses are limited. In its regular form, methamphetamines are also known as speed, meth, and chalk. In its smoked form, it is known as ice, crystal, crank, and glass. Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested or injected. The smokeable form of methamphetamine, knows as "ice," came into use in the 1980's. Ice is a large, usually clear crystal of high purity that is smoked in a glass pipe like crack/cocaine. The smoke is odorless, leaves a residue that can be re-smoked, and produces effects that my continue for 12 hours or more. Since there are a few accepted medical reasons for its use, methamphetamine is a controlled substance in the United States, and cannot be used legally without a doctor's approval. Methamphetamine abuse can also lead to legal, financial, and social problems. If methamphetamines are used during pregnancy, babies tend to be asocial, incapable of bonding, have tremors, have birth defects, and cry for 24 hours without stopping. There is also an increased risk of child abuse and neglect of children born to parents who use methamphetamines. WISC-TV reports, "There's a new drug moving into your neighborhood, reports WISC-TV. It's methamphetamine and it's one of the
Short term effects of meth include; loss of appetite, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Other short term effects include; dilation of pupils, disturbed sleep patterns, nausea, panic and psychosis, hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability, and bizarre, sometimes erratic behavior. Long term effects of meth are; Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes, and death, liver, kidney, and lung damage. If this drug is sniffed it will lead to the destruction of the tissues in the nose. If this drug in smoked it will result in respiratory problems. If this drug is injected it will lead to infectious diseases, and abscesses. Other long term effects are; malnutrition, weight loss, severe tooth decay, disentoritation, apathy, confused exhaustion, strong psychological dependence, psychosis, depression, and damage to the brain will be done that is similar to alzheimer's diseases, stroke, and epilepsy. (Short Term & Long Term & Deadly Effects)
The most noticeable effects of methamphetamine are the change in the skin’s appearance. Some users have been known to feel insects crawling beneath their skin. “He picks and picks and picks at himself, like there are bugs inside his face,” the mother of one methamphetamine addict told The Spokesman-Review (Pbs.org, 2011). Some users are covered in small sores, the result of obsessive skin picking caused by hallucination of having bugs crawling beneath the skin, a disorder known as formication. While methamphetamine makes users feel more confident, attractive, and desirable, the drug is actually making them unattractive, sores take longer to heal, and the skin loses its luster and elasticity.
Crystal meth is a sub-category of amphetamine. Amphetamines are synthetic amines- which are similar to the body's neurotransmitter: norepinehrine and the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline). Amphetamines stimulate the reticular activating system. This activation is transmitted to all parts if the brain. This process causes the user to become