1. Methamphetamine

2. Slang Terms Meth Crystal Meth MA Crank Ice Amp Tick Tick Tina
Mexican Crack

3. What is it?
What is it?
Stimulant (speeds up the CNS)

4. What does it look like? Methamphetamine Powder
Description: Beige/yellowy/off-white powder
Base / Paste Methamphetamine
Description: ‘Oily’, ‘gunky’, ‘gluggy’ gel, moist, waxy
Crystalline Methamphetamine (“Crystal”)
Description: White/clear crystals/rocks; ‘crushed glass’ / ‘rock salt’

5. How does it enter your body?
Smoked (base or crystal)
Injected (cooked into a liquid)
Swallowed (pill form)
Snorted (powder)

6. What is in it? • Pseudoephedrine (cold medications)
• Red phosphorus (matches or road flares)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Sulfuric acid (drain cleaner)
• Toluene (brake cleaner)
• Anhydrous ammonia (fertilizer)
• Ephedrine (cold medications)
• Ether (engine starter)
• Hydrochloric acid (pool supply)
• Iodine (salt flakes)
• Kitty litter
• Lithium (batteries)
• Methanol (gasoline additive)

7. Toxic Effects of Manufacturing
Fires
Explosions
Toxic gases
Toxic waste

8. Dependence/Addiction
Does it cause addiction?
Yes! It is HIGHLY physically and psychologically addictive.
Do you go through withdrawal?
Yes!
Severe Depression
Anhedonia (cannot feel any pleasure)

9. Primarily causes its effects by causing a “flood” of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain

10. “Flood” produces: Euphoria Sense of invulnerability
Sharpened/narrowed attention
Talkative

11. Common physical effects:
• Insomnia (can’t sleep)
Weight loss
Tremors
Hyperthermia
(“cook from the inside out”)
Sharpened focus/attention… “I am going to re-model the bathroom…with this toothbrush”

12. Cardiovascular problems
↑ heart rate
Palpitations
Arrhythmia
↑ blood pressure
Chest Pain
Valve thickening

13. Respiratory problems ↑ Respirations
Lung capacity especially when smoked

14. Kidney and Liver Toxicity
Kidney failure
Liver failure

15. Other problems Eye ulcers Tumors Birthing complications Anorexia
Tooth decay
“Meth Mouth”

16. Neurological & Psychological Effects
Stereotyped behavior: “tweaking”
Paranoia
Irritability
Hallucinations
(“METH BUGS”)
May present a clinical picture that is indistinguishable from paranoid schizophrenia

17. Who is using Methamphetamine?
-Groups with high or increasing rates of Methamphetamine use:
• Women
• Adolescents
• Predominantly Caucasian, Increasing Numbers of Hispanics
• Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)

18. Lifetime Drug Use by Grade Level: LA County, 2002-03

19. Primary Drug Problem Among Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Admissions
18-25 years old
<18 = 6,361 (10.8% of all admissions) = 9,596 (16.3% of all admissions)
<18 year olds: 59% marijuana, meth 12% year olds: 36% meth26% marijuana
17 years and under

20. Dosage
Medications such as Adderall (used to treat ADD/ ADHD) & Dexedrine (used to treat narcolepsy) typically prescribed at dosages of
10-40 mg/day
Methamphetamine use by addicts typically mg/day

21. Cost of Methamphetamine
Price per gram ranges from $ depending on area of the country
Thus someone using 250 mg/day only needs to spend $5-35/day to support their habit
Compare this to cocaine, on which habitual users often spend $ /day
“Poor Man’s Cocaine”