The new era of drug abuse that has hit the West like a freight train is methamphetamines. It is also known as meth, ice, crank, and speed. It has become a large issue for law enforcement in the rural and more destitute areas. The meth labs that are popping up all over are very dangerous. Not only the drug by itself, but also the ingredients that go into manufacturing the drug.
Meth is a strong stimulant that heightens alertness, diminishes the appetite, and gives a euphoric high. Methamphetamines can be put into the body by either injection, snorted, smoked or even eaten. Ultimately abusing a stimulant over time can cause heart attacks, high blood pressure and eventual strokes.
When an individual begins to go through withdrawal, many of them will experience depression. There are some long-term effects that can affect them as well. Those can be paranoia, dental breakdown, and permanent heart damage.
Some of the stages a meth abuser experiences are:
- Ø High- the abuser feels they are smarter and can become argumentative or confrontational. The high can last any where from 4 to 16 hours.
- Ø Binge- on a binge it is just a continual of the high by either smoking it or injecting. They are trying to get that initial high back, but it continues to evade them no matter how much they intake. This can last from 3 to 15 days.
- Ø Tweaking- when an individual is tweaking they are at the end of the binge. They experience an emptiness that cannot be filled by the meth any longer. It is a very uncomfortable, and generally the abuser turns to a depressant to combat the feelings. Alcohol is usually the drug of choice, but heroin seems to come in a close second.