Myths on Meth
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What is meth?
Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects
the central nervous system. Source
What are common street terms for meth?
Commons street terms used to refer to methamphetamine include: meth, speed, chalk,
ice, and glass. Source
What does meth look like?
The photos above are examples of how meth appears in different states.
How is meth used?
Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested,
or injected.
Health Effects
What are the physical effects of methamphetamine use?
The central nervous system (CNS) actions that result from taking even small amounts of
methamphetamine include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity,
decreased appetite, increased respiration, hyperthermia, and euphoria. Other CNS
effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia,
and aggressiveness. Hyperthermia and convulsions can result in death.
Methamphetamine also causes increased heart rate and blood pressure.
What are the health effects of long-term meth use?
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many damaging consequences. In addition to
addiction to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms
that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They may also display
a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood
disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping on the skin,
known as "formication"). The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal
thoughts.
Is meth addictive?
Yes. Long-term methamphetamine abuse results in many damaging effects, including
addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-
seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the
brain.
Can meth use damage brain cells?
Animal research spanning more than 20 years shows that high doses of
methamphetamine damage neuron cell endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing
neurons do not die after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings (“terminals”) are
cut back, and regrowth appears to be limited.
Can using meth make you violent?
Chronic abuse of meth can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia,
visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with
extremely violent behavior.
Does meth use cause strokes?
Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause
irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes.
Extent of Use
How many Americans have tried meth?
A 2005 survey found that approximately 10.4 million Americans aged 12 or older reported
trying methamphetamine at least once during their lifetimes, representing 4.3% of the
population aged 12 or older. Approximately 1.3 million (0.5%) reported past year
methamphetamine use and 512,000 (0.2%) reported past month methamphetamine use.
How many youth have tried meth?
A 2006 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders
found that 2.7% of eighth graders, 3.2% of tenth graders, and 4.4% of twelfth graders
reported lifetime use of methamphetamine. Additional survey results indicate that 3.4% of
high school seniors reported using ice, also known as crystal methamphetamine, within
their lifetime.
A 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found that 6.2% of high
school students reported using methamphetamine during their lifetimes. Male students
(6.3%) were more likely than female students (6.0%) to report lifetime methamphetamine
use. Hispanic (8.8%) and white (6.5%) students were more likely than black (1.7%)
students to use methamphetamine within their lifetime.
Responses to the Meth Problem
Enforcement
How many people are arrested for meth-related offenses?
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported 6,090 methamphetamine -related
arrests during 2005. This is up from 5,893 in 2004 and 6,055 in 2003.
How many offenders were sentenced for meth-related charges?
During FY 2006, there were 5,395 Federal defendants sentenced for methamphetamine-
related charges in U.S. Courts. The majority of the offenders sentenced for meth offenses
were male (77.8%), white (53.6%), and U.S. citizens (73.6%). Approximately 98% of the
meth charges were for trafficking.
Treatment
How many meth-related treatment admissions are there?
There were 152,368 meth-related treatment admissions in 2005. This is up from 47,695
admissions in 1995.
What treatments are effective for meth abusers?
At this time the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are cognitive
behavioral interventions. These approaches are designed to help modify the patient's
thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life
stressors. Methamphetamine recovery support groups also appear to be effective
adjuncts to behavioral interventions that can lead to long-term drug-free recovery.
Are there any effective pharmacological treatments for methamphetamine?
There are currently no particular pharmacological treatments for dependence on
amphetamine or amphetamine-like drugs such as methamphetamine.
The information has been obtained from: www.methresources.gov
Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects
the central nervous system. Source
What are common street terms for meth?
Commons street terms used to refer to methamphetamine include: meth, speed, chalk,
ice, and glass. Source
What does meth look like?
The photos above are examples of how meth appears in different states.
How is meth used?
Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested,
or injected.
Health Effects
What are the physical effects of methamphetamine use?
The central nervous system (CNS) actions that result from taking even small amounts of
methamphetamine include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity,
decreased appetite, increased respiration, hyperthermia, and euphoria. Other CNS
effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia,
and aggressiveness. Hyperthermia and convulsions can result in death.
Methamphetamine also causes increased heart rate and blood pressure.
What are the health effects of long-term meth use?
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many damaging consequences. In addition to
addiction to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms
that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They may also display
a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood
disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping on the skin,
known as "formication"). The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal
thoughts.
Is meth addictive?
Yes. Long-term methamphetamine abuse results in many damaging effects, including
addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-
seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the
brain.
Can meth use damage brain cells?
Animal research spanning more than 20 years shows that high doses of
methamphetamine damage neuron cell endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing
neurons do not die after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings (“terminals”) are
cut back, and regrowth appears to be limited.
Can using meth make you violent?
Chronic abuse of meth can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia,
visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with
extremely violent behavior.
Does meth use cause strokes?
Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause
irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes.
Extent of Use
How many Americans have tried meth?
A 2005 survey found that approximately 10.4 million Americans aged 12 or older reported
trying methamphetamine at least once during their lifetimes, representing 4.3% of the
population aged 12 or older. Approximately 1.3 million (0.5%) reported past year
methamphetamine use and 512,000 (0.2%) reported past month methamphetamine use.
How many youth have tried meth?
A 2006 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders
found that 2.7% of eighth graders, 3.2% of tenth graders, and 4.4% of twelfth graders
reported lifetime use of methamphetamine. Additional survey results indicate that 3.4% of
high school seniors reported using ice, also known as crystal methamphetamine, within
their lifetime.
A 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found that 6.2% of high
school students reported using methamphetamine during their lifetimes. Male students
(6.3%) were more likely than female students (6.0%) to report lifetime methamphetamine
use. Hispanic (8.8%) and white (6.5%) students were more likely than black (1.7%)
students to use methamphetamine within their lifetime.
Responses to the Meth Problem
Enforcement
How many people are arrested for meth-related offenses?
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported 6,090 methamphetamine -related
arrests during 2005. This is up from 5,893 in 2004 and 6,055 in 2003.
How many offenders were sentenced for meth-related charges?
During FY 2006, there were 5,395 Federal defendants sentenced for methamphetamine-
related charges in U.S. Courts. The majority of the offenders sentenced for meth offenses
were male (77.8%), white (53.6%), and U.S. citizens (73.6%). Approximately 98% of the
meth charges were for trafficking.
Treatment
How many meth-related treatment admissions are there?
There were 152,368 meth-related treatment admissions in 2005. This is up from 47,695
admissions in 1995.
What treatments are effective for meth abusers?
At this time the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are cognitive
behavioral interventions. These approaches are designed to help modify the patient's
thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life
stressors. Methamphetamine recovery support groups also appear to be effective
adjuncts to behavioral interventions that can lead to long-term drug-free recovery.
Are there any effective pharmacological treatments for methamphetamine?
There are currently no particular pharmacological treatments for dependence on
amphetamine or amphetamine-like drugs such as methamphetamine.
The information has been obtained from: www.methresources.gov
BUST YOUR MYTHS ON METH
