Pubdate: Wed, 28 Dec 2005
Source: Idaho Mountain Express (ID)
Copyright: 2005 Express Publishing, Inc
Contact:  http://www.mtexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2296
Author: Matt Furber, staff writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH POSES BIG HEALTH RISKS

When Jan Rosenquist, a St. Luke's Wood River Medical  Center emergency
room doctor, sees a patient who  appears highly agitated with high
blood pressure, who  may not be responding to verbal stimuli, she
consults  medical information about the effects of  methamphetamine on
the body.

Taken orally, injected, inhaled or snorted,  methamphetamine is a
potent central nervous system  stimulant, typically with more staying
power than  cocaine. And, it is cheaper.

Toxic household chemicals like battery acid and other  compounds such
as rat poison are used to reduce  ephedrine, a common ingredient in
cold medicine, to  methamphetamine, but other acids, catalysts and 
ephedrine substitutes are also used.

Meth addicts are commonly called "tweakers" today.  Addicts used to be
called "speed freaks," who were  often ostracized even by communities
of drug users,  said Eric Thomas with the Blaine County Probation 
Department.

Thomas tried to describe the euphoria that overcomes  meth users. "You
feel so damn good. It's everything  you'd want to be as a human being."

Meth has the ability to keep people up for days. It has  been used
during wartime to stimulate soldiers since  World War II and was
commonly used during Operation  Desert Storm in 1991. Users have a
reduced appetite and  can experience extreme weight loss because the
body is  pushed to go for days without food, which probation 
officers, police and social workers have recognized as  a popular
attraction to the drug, particularly for  young girls and women.

Methamphetamine and its derivatives go by various  street names, such
as "ice," "glass," "smack," "speed"  or "crystal," depending on the
composition of  ingredients.

Some "chemists" have claimed that they can produce as  much as 15
pounds of crystal methamphetamine a day in a  bathtub, making it easy
to give away in an effort to  hook a potential addict who might return
to a dealer  willing to pay to fix a craving.

Prevention, intervention, treatment and rehabilitation  are the terms
that define the cycle of addiction and  healing, a process that is
capturing an ever-increasing  number of people.

Smoking methamphetamine powder, crystals, or ice occurs  first by
placing the rock-like substance into a piece  of aluminum foil that
has been molded into the shape of  a bowl, a glass pipe, or a modified
light bulb and  heating it over the flame of a cigarette lighter or 
torch. Then, the volatile methamphetamine fumes are  inhaled through a
straw or pipe.

The euphoria, increased energy and grandiosity often  lead to
impulsive behavior such as violence and sexual  promiscuity. The
effects of the drug can last 12 hours  or more so insomnia is common.
A consequence of regular  meth use, not typically seen with other
drugs, is the  very long recovery period in which the former user 
experiences depression or little or no pleasure in  life. Inability to
get pleasure from life can last two  to three years. Some people never
recover and remain  unsatisfied due to permanent brain damage.

Methamphetamine

Slang words for meth: Crank, chalk, ice, zip, glass,  smack, speed,
crystal, quartz, go-fast.

Short-term side effects:

Tremors

Scabbing

Dry mouth

Hyperactivity

Extreme nervousness

Excessive talk

Hypothermia

Irritability

Paranoia

Decreased appetite

Insomnia

Convulsions

Long-term effects

Formication, a sensation which makes users feel like  bugs are
crawling on their skin.

Rotten teeth

Brain damage

Lung disorders

Kidney disorders

Blood clots

Psychosis

Malnutrition

Deficient immune system

Severe weight loss

Acne and sores

Chronic depression

Death
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin