Methamphetamine (Meth) is a stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine.
It's not a new drug but it hasn't been used for medical purposes for
many years. In spite of that fact, Meth's use has recently increased
across the country, particularly in Western Canada - but not the kind
of medical use that the developers of this drug had in mind.
Meth's recent popularity has raised many concerns. There's been a
lot of media attention about Meth lately, much of it pretty scary.
Is it all true? Learn the facts about it. Here are some of the questions
you may be asking yourself:
What is Methamphetamine?
Meth is a synthetic drug, meaning that it is made from chemical ingredients
rather than occurring naturally.
Meth and other amphetamines are known as stimulants because they stimulate
the body's central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is composed of the
brain and spinal cord; it acts as the control network for the entire
body. Meth's effects on the CNS are strong and, depending on the amount
used, it may be quite toxic.
What does it look like and how is it used?
Meth is also called speed or chalk. In its smokeable form, it may
be referred to as ice, crank, crystal, glass or tina.
Meth may look like white, powdery crystals; it has no smell and dissolves
quickly in water or alcohol. The crystal form can be snorted, swallowed
or injected.
If Meth is in the form of tiny transparent crystals, it can be smoked.
Usually a pipe like one used for crack cocaine is used. Also like crack,
it leaves a residue that may be re-smoked.
Swallowing Meth pills or capsules, and smoking Meth are the two most
popular ways of consuming it.
What happens when people use Meth?
Immediately after smoking or injecting Meth, there is an intense,
extremely pleasurable "rush" or "flash" that lasts a few minutes. This
feeling is followed by prolonged euphoria, a feeling of intense happiness
that is otherwise known as the "high".
People on Meth become alert and attentive. They lose their appetite,
they breathe faster, their heart beats faster, and they feel like they
have lots of energy. Their body temperature rises and they become very
talkative. Depending on various factors, including the amount of Meth
taken, the person may also become irritable, confused, anxious and
aggressive. They may also develop involuntary, jerky movements.
Snorting or swallowing Meth creates the high but not the rush. Snorting
takes effect within 3-5 minutes and oral use within 15-20 minutes.
Depending on the amount taken, the high could last anywhere between
4 and 12 hours - or even longer.
Who developed Meth?
A Short History of Meth
A pharmaceutical company developed Meth but there is currently no
accepted medical use for it. However, Meth's medical history is only
the background to today's story. These days, non-medical use is the
real issue. Some people refer to this type of use as "illicit" or "illegal" but
Meth's consequences reach far beyond the law, including a whole range
of health, social and environmental issues.
Meth has been used for non-medical purposes for a very long time,
almost since it was first developed. Until the 1970's, Meth was obtained
primarily from prescriptions, but when that source became less available,
illegal clandestine (secret) laboratories started making Meth. The
development of a smokeable form of Meth created a new interest in the
1990's.
Meth use has increased over the last five years and it's now more
popular than it ever was. So at least some of the media reports are
right - Meth's potential to create harm is greater than ever.
How common is Meth use?
General population surveys on alcohol and other drug use are often
done by telephone interviews. You may have even participated in surveys
done through questionnaires at your school. These studies show a low
rate of Meth use in the general population.
For example, a major recent survey, the Canadian Addictions Survey
2004 (CAS), asked people about their use of "speed", an informal term
that covers all amphetamines, including Meth. The CAS showed that 0.8%
of Canadians reported using speed at least once in the previous 12
months.
That doesn't seem like a big percentage so why the big deal?
Firstly, 0.8% of Canadians 15 year and older equals about two hundred
thousand people so, while that number is much smaller than some other
substances, it's still significant. Also, standard surveys and interviews
in the general population likely miss hard-to-reach people such as
street youth. Information from other sources suggests that Meth use
is much higher among this group.
Information, such as hospital admissions, shows that the number of
people seeking treatment for Meth problems is growing. Police have
also uncovered more clandestine laboratories producing Meth. They have
also seized greater quantities of Meth. All these factors point to
increasing Meth use, particularly in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario
and Quebec.
What exactly does Meth do in the body?
Meth releases high levels of the "pleasure" chemical in the brain,
known as dopamine. Dopamine is thought to cause the rush and the high.
On the other hand, Meth is only one of many drugs that cause the release
of dopamine.
Why doesn't Meth create the same reaction in people as other drugs?
Each drug has its own effect. For example, alcohol slows down the
body's CNS. Meth, other amphetamines and cocaine speed up the CNS (hence
the nickname, "speed"). To see the effects of various drugs on the
brain and the rest of the CNS, you can go to this web site: 
McGill
U. brain content.
Apart from the high, Meth increases wakefulness and physical activity,
heart rate, respiration, body temperature and (at first, anyway) sex
drive. It causes excessive talking and decreased appetite, and creates
a general sense of well-being.
It sounds like Meth is similar to cocaine
Powder cocaine and crack-cocaine, like Meth, are stimulants. Some
of the effects are also similar; they all increase stamina, alertness,
heart rate, and energy, and create euphoria. However, unlike Meth,
the effects of powder cocaine don't last long, usually about 15 - 30
minutes. Crack lasts even less time, about 5 - 10 minutes. As mentioned
earlier, depending on the amount taken, a Meth high could last anywhere
between 4 and 12 hours.
What happens if you overdose on Meth?
An overdose of Meth may result in dangerously high body temperature
(hyperthermia) and seizures. If the overdose stays untreated, death
may result.
The risk of overdose is highest when Meth is injected although one
of the biggest hazards of the oral form of Meth (usually pills or capsules)
is the "lag time", the period from when Meth is swallowed until the
high occurs. People sometimes become impatient for the effect to hit
and may take more Meth to speed up the process. That's when the person
may suffer an overdose.
Is Meth addictive?
Meth is a highly addictive substance with a high potential for abuse.
A person who is dependent on it will continue to use it despite the
negative impact on their life. With regular use, tolerance develops
to the effects of Meth so that users have to take more and more of
the drug to experience the same effects. If regular users stop taking
Meth, they may experience symptoms of withdrawal which include strong
cravings for the drug, irritability, lack of energy, increased appetite,
sleep problems and depression. These symptoms usually appear 24 hours
after the last use.
People who use Meth regularly...
- try to maintain the high by taking larger doses
- may try other, more damaging methods of use such as injection
- may use Meth in dangerous combination with alcohol and other drugs
such as cocaine/crack, marijuana and heroin
- may use Meth every 2-3 hours for several days while on a binge;
they may also neglect to eat or sleep during that time
- may develop a decreased sex drive (unlike the original effects
when it stimulates a user's sex drive)
- often display violent behaviour and may experience an extreme mistrust
of other people that could result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts
- may suffer damage to the nerve cells that produce dopamine, the "pleasure" chemical
released by the brain when Meth is taken. Even after long-term users
quit for a long period of time, there is only a partial recovery.
- may experience a distorted perception of reality, or a "psychotic" state.
They may have auditory hallucinations (hearing things that aren't
there) or tactile hallucinations (such as the feeling of insects
crawling on the skin)".
The list doesn't stop there. Other medical complications
of long-term use include:
- weight loss
- cardiovascular problems such as an irregular heart beat ("arrhythmia"),
high blood pressure, and irreversible damage to small blood vessels
in the brain that could lead to reduced blood flow and produce a
stroke.
- dangerous levels of physical exertion and inattention to their
own needs or those of their children or other people in their care.
- an unborn child exposed to Meth may experience complications and
an increased possibility of being born prematurely, as well as malformation
at birth.
- users who inject Meth and share injection equipment are at increased
risk for acquiring and transmitting blood borne viruses such as HIV,
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
- using Meth by injection may lead to skin sores (abscesses). It
may also cause endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining.
This condition can be life-threatening and usually involves a prolonged
hospital stay.
What is "Meth Mouth"?
Chronic Meth use leads to severe tooth decay and tooth loss due to
a combination of factors. Meth produces "dry mouth" which
leads users to drink lots of sweetened, carbonated drinks. Also, Meth
users tend to neglect their oral hygiene during binges.
If you think that this condition, commonly known as "Meth mouth",
is no big deal, then have a look at this photo:
Not your average cavity.
There has been some media coverage of Meth mouth recently. Here's
what a dentist in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, where Meth is commonly
used, told the Globe and Mail (article of June 21, 2005 by Jill Mahoney):
"The worst case is the teeth are largely
gone. They'll just rot through and break off, and the sad thing is
that it's often in a younger person."
Dr. Sikorski's most heartbreaking patient was
an 18-year-old girl. By the time she finally sat in his chair, her
mouth was full of tiny stumps at the gum line. Without the means to
pay for costly implants, she was left wearing dentures.
"That's hard to see," he said. "She
was pretty distraught, but she was still kind of caught up in the addiction."
Treatment for Meth users
Currently, the most effective treatment for Meth dependence is one
that helps people to modify their thoughts and behaviours, called cognitive/behavioural
therapy. This treatment also increases coping skills so that people
are better able to deal with life's challenges. However, no matter
what type of treatment people pursue, there's no quick fix for Meth
dependence.
Do you need help or just want to speak to somebody? Consult our "Need
Help" section to find information on the national, provincial
and territorial helplines.
Where and how is Meth produced?
The Meth consumed in Canada is largely produced here in clandestine
laboratories. These labs are defined as any stationary or mobile location
where a drug is manufactured. It might be a house or it might be a
car or it might be a field.
Meth is "synthesized" by heating some chemical ingredients together
to obtain the final substance. Most clandestine labs "cook" up ingredients
from cold medication, like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, with other
chemicals. Here are some not-so-appealing ingredients:
- Red phosphorus, which is used to make safety matches, fireworks,
and pesticides.
- Hydrochloric acid, an acid so strong that one of its uses is to
treat industrial waste and other sludge.
- Anhydrous ammonia, an important source of fertilizer for farm crops.
Why is Meth production dangerous?
A major hazard in the Meth production process occurs when the labs
are not properly ventilated. For example, Meth producers often store
anhydrous ammonia improperly, a situation that can lead to explosions
when the containers decay. Not only are the pieces of the exploding
container deadly, a vapour is released that is poisonous. Breathing
it may lead to illness or death. As well, anhydrous ammonia is extremely
cold and can cause severe frostbite if it comes into contact with skin.
Also, acids used to make Meth can cause serious burns.
Speaking of poison, some of the chemical by-products of the Meth production
process are toxic. Phosphine gas may be released, something so explosive
that it can ignite when it comes into contact with air. Phosphine has
a fish- or garlic-like odor and can cause deadly reactions such as
heart attacks and pulmonary edema (where your lungs fill up with fluid.)
The Meth production process has led to several deaths and many poisonings
in the US.
Meth production and the environment
As if all that wasn't bad enough, the production of Meth can severely
pollute the environment. Studies in the US show that the impurities
created by cooking Meth can be found throughout an entire home or building - not
just the room where it's prepared. So if cooking Meth doesn't destroy
the house with an explosion, it may poison the place instead. Children
in homes where Meth is produced are especially at risk.
Everyone exposed to the Meth lab, or even just being in the building
where it's located, can become contaminated. People who dismantle labs
wear protective clothing to prevent exposure to chemicals but they
are still exposed to other dangers. For example, there may be booby
traps meant to maim or kill people entering the lab.
If labs pose hazards for people knowingly entering such a place, imagine
how dangerous it is for people who don't know what's happening there.
Police might arrive to investigate an unrelated incident or a utility
agent might simply want to read the electrical meter. If these people
don't recognize the lab for what it is, they may be unknowingly exposed
to dangerous chemicals.
Waste from the Meth production process is often dumped into sewers
or directly on the ground. Soil may become contaminated along with
surface water and ground water. This situation may lead to poisoning
of livestock, domestic pets, wildlife, and in some cases people.
