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