Crystal Meth: A Profile

Place of Origin:
Initially, most Meth was produced in large clandestine labs in the Southwestern United  States where demand was highest. But with the help of Mexico-based traffickers and the rise  of smaller independent labs, Meth’s popularity has swept the nation. There is no state untouched by the spike in the drug’s popularity, now being referred to as an epidemic. For the Southeastern region, Georgia ranks #1 in Meth production and consumption.

Looks Like:
An elusive shape-shifter, Meth is available in liquid, white powder or crystal form, as well as in brightly colored tablets.

Feels Like:
The effects of the drug are felt just seconds after consumption and are said to last up to 12 hours. It increases alertness and euphoria and raises blood pressure and body temperature. In some cases it can cause agitation, memory loss and psychotic episodes.


Science bit:
Methamphetamines fit into the ‘psychostimulant’ category along with cocaine. Psychostimulants cause the brain to produce large amounts of dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical that sends pleasure signals to the brain and is experienced as a ‘rush,’ like the euphoria felt when hearing a favorite song. Meth triggers the brain to produce extreme amounts of dopamine over an extended period of time, both prolonging and intensifying the user’s experience of exhilaration. It takes rest and proper nutrition for the brain to replenish its dopamine stores, but the presence of excess dopamine in the body leads to insomnia and decreased appetite, so the user rarely has a chance to come down without experiencing severe depression as a result of physically lacking the chemicals necessary in the brain to elevate their mood. While not considered physically addictive, the psychological swings Meth produces can lead to a vicious cycle of consumption to comedown emptiness to pick-me-up consumption. Some recent studies are determining that repeated use of the drug can chemically alter the brain itself, making future abuse of the substance more likely.

The Real Scoop:
Recreational drug users are catching on to this little party favor. In powder form, Meth is replacing cocaine as the drug of choice. With a high that can last up to 20 times longer than the same amount of cocaine, extreme appetite suppressing capabilities and a seemingly endless reserve of energy, ‘Tweakers’ not only get their kicks, they get them for a bargain. But it’s not just social self-medicators who have caught on to this new craze. Its effects have a much more universal appeal. While club-kids do comprise a high percentage of users, the fastest growing demographic is actually suburban housewives! That’s right. Resourceful Supermoms have discovered a new wonder fuel. It gives the user enough energy to party all night or vacuum all day. All of its basic components are available in local pharmacies and hardware stores, and recipe books are even sold commercially, not to mention available on the internet. Of course, lack of sleep and nutrition eventually take their toll. Users simply run out of their energy stores and reserves and crash. Sometimes sleeping for days, experiencing digestive cramping as the body tries to reacquaint itself with food and succumbing to horrendous depressive fogs, with a sprinkling of paranoid  delusions, the over-productive frenzy that was their high mind now seems eons away.