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Frequently Asked Questions
A: Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant.
The drug works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interfering with normal neurotransmission. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances naturally produced within nerve cells used to communicate with each other and send messages to influence and regulate our thinking and all other systems throughout the body.
The main neurotransmitter affected by methamphetamine is dopamine. Dopamine is involved with our natural reward system. For example, feeling good about a job well done, getting pleasure from our family or social interactions, feeling content and that our lives are meaningful and count for something, all rely on dopamine transmission.
A synthetic drug, methamphetamine has a high potential for abuse and dependence. It is illegally produced and sold in pill form, capsules, powder and chunks. Methamphetamine was developed early in this century from its parent drug amphetamine and was originally used in nasal decongestants, bronchial inhalers, and in the treatment of narcolepsy and obesity. In the 1970s methamphetamine became a Schedule II drug - a drug with little medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Q: What are the street
names for methamphetamine?
Q. Where is meth
manufactured and distributed?
Q. Why is meth use so
prevalent in the Midwest? Seizures of clandestine labs in the Midwest have increased from 44 in 1995
to more than 1500 in 2002. In fact, the state of Missouri led the nation since
1997 in the number of meth labs seized with California currently close behind. 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?
Q. Where are these labs
found?
Q. What ingredients are
used to make meth?
Q. What are precursor
substances?
Q. How much does meth
cost on the street?
$ 50 per 1/4 gram
Estimates are that one ounce of meth equals about 896 meth
"lines."
Q. Who is using
methamphetamine? 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.
Q. Are teenagers using
the drug?
Q. Why should I talk to
my child/teenager about meth?
Q: Why do people start
using methamphetamine?
Q: Is meth used in combination
with other drugs?
Q: Are there any
legitimate uses for methamphetamine?
Q: How is
methamphetamine administered?
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 effect
users overall?
Q: What are the
short-term 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: How much of the drug
can cause an overdose?
Q: What are some signs
that a person may be using the drug?
Q: If methamphetamine is
so dangerous, why can physicians prescribe the drug to patients?
Q: Why is
methamphetamine addictive?
Q: How does
methamphetamine take over one's life?
Q: Is there
methamphetamine withdrawal?
Q: Is methamphetamine
addiction difficult to treat?
Q: Is relapse common?
Q: What prompts
methamphetamine users to enter treatment?
Q: How does the cost of
treating meth users compare to incarceration?
Q: What other problems
does methamphetamine pose to society?
Q: How is the production
of meth more dangerous than other drugs?
Q. What are the most
serious environmental consequences of meth labs?
Q: What is the cost of a
cleaning up a clandestine meth lab site?
Q: What are the federal
penalties for methamphetamine trafficking?
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.
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.
A: The region's methamphetamine epidemic stems from two problems:
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.
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.
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.
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.
A. The cost varies according to several factors, including purity of
the drug, the region in which it is sold, the source of the drug (local
product vs. imported) and availability of the drug. The approximate prices below were provided by an informant in the Cass County area (05/10/06)
$ 140 per gram (keep in mind, a pink Sweet-n-Low packet is 1 gram)
$ 375 per 3.5 grams (refered to as an 8 ball)
$ 700 per 1/4 Oz (7 grams)
$1300 per 1/2 Oz (14 grams)
$2000 per Ounce (28 grams)
A. There are two basic profiles of users reported by law enforcement
and treatment providers:
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 2000. In addition, law enforcement officials have caught teens as young as
13- and 15-year-olds using and selling the drug.
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.
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.
A: Methamphetamine users are likely also to be users of alcohol,
marijuana and cocaine rather than users of drugs like heroin.
A: In some cases, doctors prescribe low doses of methamphetamine for
narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder.
A: It can be smoked, taken intranasal (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.
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.
A: Central Nervous
System Side Effects
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A: The basic, mandatory minimum sentences under
federal law are:
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:
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.