Crystal Meth Crystal Meth Christy Hernandez, Nicole Pacheco, Danielle Coven, and Olivia Fogel

More about Crystal Meth  Methamphetamine is an illegal drug that is in the same category as cocaine, and is usually white powder that is odorless  This powder can dissolve in water or alcohol  Crystal meth comes in clear, chunky crystals resembling ice

Background Information  Crystal methamphetamine  Methamphetamine is a white crystalline drug that people take by snorting it, smoking it, or injecting it  Common street names: crank, chalk, speed, beannies, brown, chicken feed, cinnamon

History  Amphetamine was first made in 1887  In 1919, a more potent methamphetamine was made in Japan  During World War II, methamphetamine went into wide use to keep troops awake  In the 1950s, it was prescribes as a diet aid and used to fight depression  In 1970 the US made it illegal  In the 1990s, Mexican drug trafficking organizations et up large labs and exported drugs globally

Meth Laboratory

Statistics  There are 500 metric tons of amphetamine-type stimulants produced every year  There are 24.7 million abusers of these drugs  In 2008, the US reported that approx 13 million over age 12 have used meth  Out of those 13 million, 529,000 are regular users

Statistics Continued  In 2007, 4.5% of American high school seniors and 4.1% of 10 th grade students reported using methamphetamine at least once in their life  Admissions of drug treatment due to meth increased from 3% in 1996 to 9% in 2006  In Hawaii, 48.2% of people seeking help for drug or alcohol abuse were methamphetamine users

Effects  Short term: loss of appetite, increased heart rate, body temp, and blood pressure, pupil dilation, hallucinations, nausea, convulsions, panic, sometimes violence  Long term: permanent damage to heart and brain, liver and lung damage, malnutrition, weight loss

How People get Addicted  Crystal meth creates a sense of happiness, well-being, confidence, hyper activeness, and energy  Abusers crave these effects  Usually lasts 6 to 8 h0ours, but can last up to 24  Used as a “club drug”  Burns up body’s resources, creating devastating dependence  So highly concentrated, only takes one time to get addicted

Interesting Facts  Crystal Meth causes unexplained itching  After stopping use, the abuser may have the addiction for the rest of his or her life, it may never go away  Sometimes when being made in a lab, the product will cause an explosion

Sources  acts.blogspot.com/20 07/05/crystal-meth- pros-and-cons-part- four.html acts.blogspot.com/20 07/05/crystal-meth- pros-and-cons-part- four.html acts.blogspot.com/20 07/05/crystal-meth- pros-and-cons-part- four.html  om/watch?v=mvitKbs JrQE om/watch?v=mvitKbs JrQE om/watch?v=mvitKbs JrQE