Crystal meth is short for crystal methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is an illegal drug in the same class as cocaine and other powerful street drugs. It has many nicknames – ice or glass being the most common.
Methamphetamine is white crystalline drug that people take by snorting it, smoking it or injecting it with a needle. Some even take it orally, but all develop a strong desire to continue using it because the drug creates a false sense of happiness and well-being – a strong feeling of confidence, hyper activeness and energy. One also experiences decreased appetite. These drug effects generally last from six to eight hours, but can last up to 24 hours.
Methamphetamine is a synthetic (man-made) chemical, unlike cocaine, for instance, which comes from a plant.
It is commonly manufactured in illegal, hidden laboratories, mixing various forms of amphetamine (another stimulant drug) or derivates with other chemicals to boost its potency. Common pills for cold remedies are often used as the basis for the production of the drug. The meth “cook” extracts ingredients from those pills and to increase its strength combines the substance with chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and antifreeze. These dangerous chemicals are potentially explosive and because the meth cooks are drugs users themselves and disoriented, they are often severely burned and disfigured or killed when their preparations explode. Such accidents endanger others in nearby homes or buildings.
The illegal laboratories create a lot of toxic waste as well – the production of one pound of methamphetamine produces five pounds of waste. People exposed to these waste materials can become poisoned and sick.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated the worldwide production of amphetamine-type stimulants, which include methamphetamine, at nearly 500 metric tons a year, with 24.7 million abusers.
The first experience with meth might involve some pleasure, but from the start, methamphetamine begins to destroy the user’s life.
It is one of the hardest drug addictions to treat and many die in its grip.
However it is never too late to come out of a drug addiction. Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program that utilizes the methods of L. Ron Hubbard, has a success rate of more than 75%. (www.narconon.org)
To find out more about methamphetamine and other drugs visit www.drugfreeworld.org.