A: The drug is referred to by many names including "meth,"
"speed .. crank," "chalk,"- "go-fast," "zip," and "cristy." Pure
methamphetamine hydrochloride, the smokeable form of the drug, is
called "L.A." or - because of its clear, chunky crystals which
resemble frozen water - "ice," "crystal," 64glass," or "quartz."
Since the 1980s, ice has been smuggled from Taiwan and South
Korea into Hawaii, where use became widespread by 1988. By 1990,
distribution of ice had spread to the U.S.
mainland.
Q. Where is meth manufactured and
distributed?
A. Methamphetamine is both domestically produced and
imported into the U.S. in already processed form. Once dominated
by motorcycle gangs and other local producers in remote areas of
California and the Pacific Northwest, the market now includes
both local producers and Mexican sources providing finished
product to stateside distributors.
Q. Why is meth use so prevalent in the
Midwest?
A:
The region's methamphetamine epidemic stems from two
problems:
- steadily increasing importation of methamphetamine into the
region by organized trafficking groups; and
- clandestine manufacturing of
methamphetamine by hundreds of users/dealers in small "mom and
pop" labs.
Seizures of clandestine labs in the Midwest have
increased from 44 in 1995 to more than 500 in 1997. In fact, the
state of Missouri led the nation in 1997 in the number of meth
labs seized.
Twenty Mexican methamphetamine trafficking organizations
have been identified by DEA as being involved in the Midwest,
which is connected via major interstate highways, rail and air to
the West and Southwest border areas that serve as importation,
manufacturing and staffing areas for the Mexican
operations.
Q. How is meth made?
A.
The processing required to make methamphetamine from precursor
substances is easier and more accessible than ever. There are
literally thousands of recipes and information about making meth
on the Internet. An investment of a few hundred dollars in
over-the-counter medications and chemicals can produce thousands
of dollars worth of methamphetamine. The drug can be made in a
makeshift "lab" that can fit into a suit case. The average meth
"cook" annually teaches ten other people how to make the
drug.
Q. Where are these labs found?
A.
Clandestine labs known as "mom and pop" labs are found in rural,
city and suburban residences; barns, garages and other
outbuildings; back rooms of businesses; apartments; hotel and
motel rooms; storage facilities; vacant buildings; and
vehicles.
Q. What ingredients are used to make
meth?
A.
Over-the-counter cold and asthma medications containing ephedrine
or pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain
cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel, and antifreeze are
among the ingredients most commonly used.
Q. What are precursor
substances?
A:
Precursors are substances that, in nature, might be inactive.
However, when combined with another chemical the result is a new
product. Methamphetamine starts with an inactive or
marginally-inactive compound (ephedrine or pseudoephedrine) and
other chemicals are added to produce the drug.
Q. Who is using
meth?
A.
There are two basic profiles of users reported by law enforcement
and treatment providers:
- students, both high school and college age;
and
- white, blue-collar workers and
unemployed persons in their 20s and 30s.
Use
is widely prevalent in both urban and rural areas and equally
divided among males and females. Women are more likely to use
methamphetamine than cocaine. Some areas are seeing an increase
in the number of Hispanic and Native American meth users, though
whites are still the most dominant users of the
drug.
On a survey done on this site, of the 544
respondents:
| Under 18 years
old |
24% |
| 18-23 years
old |
35% |
| 23-30 years
old |
19% |
| 30-40 years
old |
13% |
| Over 40 years
old |
6% |
Q. Are teenagers using the
drug?
A.
The drug is becoming more popular among persons 18 years and
younger, as studies show teenagers perceive methamphetamine as
safer, longer lasting and easier to buy than cocaine. The
"Monitoring the Future" survey, which measures the extent of drug
use among U.S. adolescents, found methamphetamine use among high
school seniors more than doubled between 1990 and 1996. In
addition, law enforcement officials have caught teens as young as
14- and 15-year-olds using and selling the
drug.
Q. Why should I talk to my child about
meth?
A.
Teens whose parents talk to them about drugs are half as likely
to use drugs as those whose parents do not speak to them on this
topic.
Q: Why do people start using
meth?
A:
Athletes and students sometimes begin using meth because of the
initial heightened physical and mental performance the drug
produces. Blue collar and service workers may use the drug to
work extra shifts, while young women often begin using meth to
lose weight. Others use meth recreationally to stay energized at
"rave" parties or other social activities. In addition, meth is
less expensive and more accessible than cocaine and users often
have the misconception that methamphetamine is not really a
drug.
Q: Is meth used in combination with other
drugs?
A:
Methamphetamine users are likely also to be users of alcohol,
marijuana and cocaine rather than users of drugs like
heroin.
Q. Are there any legitimate uses for
meth?
A:
In some cases, doctors prescribe low doses of methamphetamine for
narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder.
Q: How is methamphetamine
administered?
A:
It can be smoked, taken intranasally (snorted), injected
intravenously or ingested orally. The practice of "eating" meth
by putting it on paper or food and chewing it also has been
reported.
Q: What happens immediately after a person takes
methamphetamine?
A:
The drug alters mood in different ways, depending on how it is
taken. Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection, the
user experiences an intense "rush" or "flash" that lasts only a
few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Smoking or
injecting produces effects fastest, within five to ten seconds.
Snorting or ingesting orally produces euphoria - a high but not
an intense rush. Snorting produces effects within three to five
minutes, and ingesting orally produces effects within 15 to 20
minutes.
Q: How does the drug affect users
overall?
A:
In all forms, the drug stimulates the central nervous system,
with effects lasting anywhere from four to 24 hours.
Methamphetamine use can not only modify behavior in an acute
state, but after taking it for a long time, the drug literally
changes the brain in fundamental and long-lasting ways. It kills
by causing heart failure (myocardial infarction), brain damage,
and stroke and it induces extreme, acute psychiatric and
psychological symptoms that may lead to suicide or
murder.
Q: What are the short-term
effects?
A: Central Nervous System Side Effects
Even
small amounts of methamphetamine can produce euphoria, increased
alertness, paranoia, decreased appetite and increased physical
activity. Other central nervous system effects include athetosis
(writhing jerky, or flailing movements), irritability, extreme
nervousness, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, aggression,
incessant talking, hyperthermia, and convulsions. Hyperthermia
(extreme rise in body temperature as high as 108 degrees) and
convulsions sometimes can result in death.
Cardiovascular Side Effects
Use
can produce chest pain and hypertension which can result in
cardiovascular collapse and death. In addition, methamphetamine
causes accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and can
cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the
brain.
Other Physical
Effects
Pupil dilation, respiratory disorders, dizziness, tooth
grinding, impaired speech, dry or itchy skin, loss of appetite,
acne, sores, numbness, and sweating.
Psychological
Effects
Symptoms of prolonged meth abuse can resemble those of
schizophrenia and are characterized by anger, panic, paranoia,
auditory and visual hallucinations, repetitive behavior patterns,
and formication (delusions of parasites or insects on the
skin). Methamphetamine-induced paranoia can result in homicidal
or suicidal thoughts.
Q: What other long-term effects can
result?
A:
Fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage,
blood clots, chronic depression, hallucinations, violent and
aggressive behavior, malnutrition, disturbed personality
development, deficient immune system, and methamphetamine
psychosis, a mental disorder that may be paranoid psychosis or
may mimic schizophrenia.
Q: How much of the drug can cause an
overdose?
A:
A toxic reaction (or overdose) can occur at relatively low
levels, 50 milligrams of pure drug for a non-tolerant user.
Metabolic rates vary from person to person, and the strength of
the illegal form of the drug varies from batch to batch, so there
is no way of stating a "safe" level of use. In overdose, high
fever, convulsions and cardiovascular collapse may precede death.
Because stimulants effect the body's cardiovascular and
temperature-regulating systems, physical exertion increases the
hazards of meth use.
Q: What effect does methamphetamine use have on
pregnancy?
A:
Babies can be born methamphetamine addicted and suffer birth
defects, low birth weight, tremors, excessive crying, attention
deficit disorder, and behavior disorders. There is also an
increased risk of child abuse (including "shaken baby syndrome")
and neglect of children born to parents who use
methamphetamine.
Q: What are some signs that a person may be using the
drug?
A:
The person may exhibit anxiousness; nervousness; incessant
talking; extreme moodiness and irritability; purposeless,
repetitious behavior, such as picking at skin or pulling out
hair; sleep disturbances; false sense of confidence and power;
aggressive or violent behavior; disinterest in previously enjoyed
activities; and severe depression.
Q: If methamphetamine is so dangerous, why can
physicians prescribe the drug to patients?
A:
The key is the dosage. Methamphetamine abusers use much higher
dosages of the drug than a physician would routinely prescribe
when treating a patient.
Q: Why is methamphetamine
addictive?
A:
All addictive drugs have two things in common: they produce an
initial pleasurable effect, followed by a rebound unpleasant
effect. Methamphetamine, through its stimulant effects, produces
a positive feeling, but later leaves a person feeling depressed.
This is because it suppresses the normal production of dopamine,
creating a chemical imbalance. The user physically demands more
of the drug to return to normal. This pleasure/tension cycle
leads to loss of control over the drug and
addiction.
Q: How does methamphetamine take over one's
life?
A:
Methamphetamine short-circuits a person's survival system by
artificially stimulating the reward center, or pleasure areas in
the brain. This leads to increased confidence in meth and less
confidence in the normal rewards of life. This happens on a
physical level at first, then it affects the user
psychologically. The result is decreased interest in other
aspects of life while reliance and interest in meth increases. In
one study, laboratory animals pressed levers to release
methamphetamine into their blood stream rather than eat, mate, or
satisfy other natural drives. The animals died of starvation
while giving themselves methamphetamine even though food was
available.
Q: Is there methamphetamine
withdrawal?
A:
Yes. The severity and length of symptoms vary with the amount of
damage done to the normal reward system through methamphetamine
use. The most common symptoms are: drug craving, extreme
irritability, loss of energy, depression, fearfulness, excessive
drowsiness or difficulty in sleeping, shaking, nausea,
palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and increased
appetite.
Q: Is methamphetamine addiction difficult to
treat?
A:
Several treatment providers describe methamphetamine abusers as
"the hardest to treat" of all drug users. They are often overly
excitable and "extremely resistant to any form of intervention
once the acute effects of meth use have gone away." Meth addicts
get over the acute effects of withdrawal fairly quickly. However,
the "wall" period lasts 6-8 months for casual users and 2-3
years for regular users. (Some people never recover and
remain unsatisfied with life due to permanent brain damage.) This
is a period of prolonged abstinence during which the brain
recovers from the changes resulting from meth use. During this
period, recovering addicts feel depressed, fuzzyheaded, and think
life isn't as pleasurable without the drug. Because prolonged use
causes changes in the brain, willpower alone will not cure meth
addicts.
Q: Is relapse common?
A:
Yes. Because there are psychiatric, social, and biological
components to meth dependence, there is a high likelihood of
relapse. Key relapse issues are similar to that of cocaine use
and include other substance abuse and being around drug-using
friends.
Q: What prompts methamphetamine users to enter
treatment?
A:
Methamphetamine causes a variety of mental, physical, and social
problems which may prompt entry into treatment. Though not as
expensive as heroin and cocaine, its cost might also produce
financial problems for users and prompt them to seek help.
However, the most commonly reported reason why methamphetamine
users enter treatment is trouble with the law. These legal
problems include aggressive or bizarre behaviors which prompt
others to call police. Other reasons for entry include mental or
emotional problems and problems at work or at
school.
Q: How does the cost of treating meth users compare
to incarceration?
A:
Treatment is a highly cost-effective alternative; it is about
one-tenth of the cost to treat a person rather than putting him
or her in jail.
Q: What other problems does methamphetamine pose to
society?
A:
Automobile accidents; explosions and fires triggered by the
illegal manufacture of methamphetamine; environmental
contamination; increased criminal activity, including domestic
violence; emergency room and other medical costs; spread of
infectious disease, including HIV, AIDS and hepatitis; and lost
worker productivity. Economic costs also fall on governments,
which must allocate additional resources for social services and
law enforcement.
Q: How is the production of meth more dangerous than
other drugs?
A:
Meth trafficking and production are different than other drugs
because they are dangerous from start to finish. The reckless
practices of the untrained people who manufacture it in
clandestine labs result in explosions and fires that injure or
kill not only the people and families involved, but also law
enforcement or fireman who respond. Any number of solvents,
precursors and hazardous agents are found in unmarked containers
at these sites. These potent chemicals can enter the central
nervous system and cause neural damage, effect the liver and
kidneys, and burn or irritate the skin, eyes and nose.
Environmental damage is another consequence of these reckless
actions, and violence is often a part of the process as
well.
Q. What are the most serious environmental
consequences of meth labs?
A:
Each pound of meth produced leaves behind five or six pounds of
toxic waste. Meth cooks often pour leftover chemicals and
byproduct sludge down drains in nearby plumbing, storm drains, or
directly onto the ground. Chlorinated solvents and other toxic
byproducts used to make meth pose long-term hazards because they
can persist in soil and groundwater for years. Clean-up costs are
exorbitant because solvent contaminated soil usually must be
incinerated.
Q: What is the cost of a cleaning up a clandestine
meth lab site?
A:
Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and beyond the
financial capabilities of most jurisdictions. The average cost of
a cleanup is about $5,000 but some cost as much as
$150,000.
Q: What are the federal penalties for methamphetamine
trafficking?
A:
The basic, mandatory minimum sentences under federal law
are:
- 10 grams (pure) = 5 years in prison
- 100 grams (pure) = 10 years in
prison.
Q: What is the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control
Act of 1996?
A:
This federal legislation takes significant steps toward
preventing meth from becoming the next crisis in drug abuse. The
bill:
- Permits the domestic seizure and forfeiture of
methamphetamine precursor chemicals.
- Directs the Attorney General to
coordinate international drug enforcement efforts to interdict
such chemicals.
- Increases penalties for the
possession of equipment used to make controlled substances, and
for trafficking in certain precursor chemicals.
- Requires an interagency task
force to develop and implement prevention, education and meth
treatment strategies.
Q: What do I look for if I suspect a meth lab in my
neighborhood?
A:
Unusual, strong odors similar to the that of fingernail polish
remover or cat urine; renters who pay cash; large amounts of
products such as cold medicines, antifreeze, drain cleaner,
lantern fuel, coffee filters, batteries, duct tape, clear glass
beakers and containers; and residences with windows blacked out
and lots of nighttime traffic.