Oklahoma Meth Abuse

Tennessee is one of the states hit hardest by the nation’s opioid epidemic which began about 20 years ago and had a stark increase since 2009, now reaching unprecedented levels across the county with a 200% increase in the rate of deaths involving opioids (Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016; Fletcher, 2016). In Tennessee specifically, it is estimated that about 1 in 6 abuse opioids; the CDC estimates that for every one person who dies from an opioid overdose in Tennessee there are 851 others in the state who are in various stages of their abuse, misuse, and treatment; and the most recent statistics show that opioid overdoses alone make up about 7.7% of deaths in Tennessee, making them responsible for more deaths than car accidents in the state (Botticelli, 2016; Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016; Fletcher, 2016; ONDCP, 2016; Thompson, 2016).

Crystal abusers become so heavily reliant on the drug that they will go to any extreme to get more- including violent crimes. Due to the manor in which meth is produced the users have no way of knowing what is actually in the product. Along the distribution path the product is cut- to increase profit by creating more product, which puts the user at increased risk of danger. Which brings out many questions, such as: why start, why continue and most of all, why not just quit?

Many people may not realize this but multiple states, including Michigan, are facing an epidemic. It is not a disease, however, it is a heroin epidemic. In a country where addictive opioid pain-killer prescriptions are handed out like candy, it not surprising heroin, also known as smack or thunder, has become a serious problem. The current heroin epidemic Michigan is facing, as are dozens of other states, has spiraled out of control in recent years. In Michigan, some of the areas hit hardest by this drug are in the southern portion of the state, like Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe Counties. The connection between painkillers and heroin may not be clear, but this is because both are classified as opioid drugs, and therefore cause many of the same positive and negative side effects. As a country, we are currently the largest consumer of opioids in the world; almost the entire world supply of hydrocodone (the opioid in Vicodin) and 81% of the world’s oxycodone (in Percocet and OxyContin) is used by the United States (Volkow). Along with consuming most of the world’s most common opioids, we have gone from 76 million of these prescriptions in 1991 to 207 million in 2013 – constantly increasing except for a small decrease starting in 2012 (Volkow). This widespread use has caused numerous consequences from increasing emergency room visits – for both painkillers and heroin – to sky-rocking overdose cases all over the country (Volkow). Michigan, unfortunately, currently has one of the

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.

With highways going all different directions, it's easy to transport drugs in and out of the state. Oklahoma is one of the number one states for meth labs. With

Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and “the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.” In 2002, “100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013” (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low income males, adolescents, and those who have a family history of addiction, due to their increased susceptibility and crime-ridden environment. While it may seem as though heroin addiction is “just another drug problem” in the U.S., it is actually a problem of major public health importance because there are numerous physical, economic, and social risks associated with heroin dependence. Heroin dependence in the United States accounts for brain damage, increased homelessness, crime, and incarceration rates, as well as economic decline.

Drug use in New Mexico is the highest factor into crime, violence, homelessness, poverty and overdose. Statistics have shown that this state has had the highest drug overdose death rate in the nation for most of the last two decades. With illegal drugs still playing a big factor into this problem, prescription drugs cause more deaths than both cocaine and heroin. There are many contributions into why New Mexico has had such a bad drug abuse problem including one of the biggest cartels in the US is located here and many of the society is introduced to drugs at such a young age. There has been an ongoing crisis of deaths but with help from the

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.

As a result on this alarming phenomenon, deaths related to drug overdose saw a material spike upwards as recently as 2013. The number of deaths (13.2 for every 100,000 residents) earned the state the dubious honor of being ranked #19 in the nation for said deaths. In order to keep these numbers from getting worse, residents and their representatives need to start working together to develop prevention programs while making sure those who are suffering from an addiction have reasonable access to treatment and

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.

With so much focus on the drug problems in high visibility states like New York, Florida and California, the drug issues in other states like Ohio tend to get loss in the shuffle. If you are suffering from an addiction while living in Ohio, you may have noticed a general lack of concern over drug and alcohol abuse related issues throughout the state.

Problems with meth labs and meth use are increasing in many rural areas. Enforcement of new laws, and tougher penalties have brought the numbers of meth labs down since 2005, but some states still have problems controlling their meth lab incidents.

The United States is in crisis due to an epidemic of drug addiction. Meth and heroin represent the two most destructive illegal drugs being abused in the world. Drug

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