(Crystal Meth)
Note:
Information
about methamphetamine is intended for the teacher’s
information only rather than for use with students, unless
local data indicate otherwise.
- Methamphetamine (called
speed, crystal meth, ice, or crank) is often grouped with
substances referred to as amphetamine-type stimulants
(ATS), which also include ecstasy and
amphetamine.3 Among ATS, methamphetamine
has a particularly high potential for abuse and
addiction.
- Methamphetamine can be found
in powder form or in a waxy form known as
“base,” “paste,”
“wax” or “point.”
“Crystal” or “ice” (d-
methamphetamine hydrochloride) is usually a clear crystal
of high purity that consists of a recrystallized powder.
Methamphetamine can also be sold in capsules or tablets,
generally referred to as speed in this form.
- The
“high” experienced when using methamphetamine
has been compared to that of cocaine, though
methamphetamine is relatively cheap when compared to
cocaine, and the effects last much
longer.4
Immediate and short-term effects and harms - At low doses,
effects generally include increased alertness and energy,
a feeling of well-being, decreased appetite, rapid heart
beat and breathing, increased blood pressure, sweating,
dilated pupils, elevated body temperatures, and dry
mouth.
- At higher
doses, a person may experience euphoria and a sense of
feeling powerful and superior. Other effects include more
intense sexual pleasure and endurance, becoming
talkative, restless, excited, aggressive, or paranoid, or
behaving in a bizarre, repetitive fashion. The positive
attributes of crystal methamphetamine most cited by one
sample of users are energy, aphrodisiac, sociability,
euphoria, and loss of inhibitions. Weight loss may be
experienced, which is often seen as a benefit, by women
especially.
- Later in the
high there is a state of agitation that can lead to
violence in some. Problems and negative features often
mentioned by users in two studies include the comedown,
paranoia, inability to sleep, hallucinations, weight
loss, and aggression. 5 6
Effects and harms from long-term use - Malnourishment may occur,
because these drugs suppress the appetite.
- Amphetamine
psychosis, which can include paranoia and sensation of
insects crawling on the skin, usually ends upon stopping
use; however, a small percentage fail to recover
completely (they may have had mental health problems
before starting to use amphetamines).7
8
- Violent
tendencies that are linked to psychosis are quite common
among long-term users.9 Violence, accidental or
otherwise, is the leading cause of amphetamine-related
deaths.
- Depression,
cognitive difficulties, such as problems with abstract
thought, capacity to learn and retain new information,
and verbal competency, and memory problems may occur.
- Sexual
dysfunction, an inability to achieve or maintain an
erection, may result, leading to simultaneous use of
erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra by some. Rough sex
presents a risk of bleeding and infection from
blood-borne diseases.
- High rates of
HIV are found among gay and bisexual meth/amphetamine
injection drug users, a result of needle sharing, an
increased number of partners, and increased rates and
incidence of unprotected sex.
- Physical
damage may include dental erosion, skin lesions, lung
problems from smoking, inflammation of heart lining, and
damage to dopamine- and serotonin-related brain
cells.10
- Social
problems associated with the used of methamphetamine
include family strain/breakup, severe legal penalties,
sex trade/drug dealing/petty criminal activity for drug
money, unplanned pregnancy among women, and isolation due
to criminality.
- Overdose can
cause delusions, hallucinations, high fever, delirium,
seizures, coma, stroke, heart failure, and in rare cases,
death. Death can result from use as a consequence of
burst blood vessels in the brain, heart failure, or very
high fever.
- To find the
desired effects, users may take higher doses of the drug,
take it more frequently, or change their method of drug
intake, with dependence often the result.
- Withdrawal
effects include sleeping disturbances (nightmares, either
sleeping a lot or hardly at all) shakiness, increased
appetite, irritability, depression (which may last for
months after the last binge), anxiety, and craving for
the drug.
Effects on the community and the environment - Threat to
safety of home occupants, first responders, and
neighbours may be caused by clandestine labs in
residential areas, especially since labs are usually
discovered following a mysterious explosion or fire.
Residents may lack a sense of public safety.
- Environmental
harms may be caused by the production of methamphetamine
and the disposal of the resulting waste. The chemicals
involved are corrosive, explosive, flammable, and toxic.
- There are the
economic impacts associated with community resources
being diverted to deal with these issues and with reduced
real estate values.
Methamphetamine and the law
In 2005, methamphetamine was moved from Schedule III of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to Schedule I of the act, which provides access to the highest maximum penalties. The maximum penalty for production and distribution of methamphetamine has increased from 10 years to life in prison.
A number of jurisdictions in Canada and the US have introduced legislation to limit the availability of “precursor” chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine.
Use of methamphetamine in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia students were asked about methamphetamine (also known as crystal meth or speed) for the first time in 2007. Among Nova Scotia high school students, 1.6 percent said they had used methamphetamine in the past year.
The use of this methamphetamine does not follow the typical trend of use increasing as the grade increases. In grade 7, 1.1 percent reported use, 2.4 percent in grade 9, 2.2 percent in grade 10 and dropping to 0.8 percent in grade 12.
3. Deguire A.E. (2005). Methamphetamine. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
4. Zickler P. (2004). Long-term abstinence brings partial recovery from methamphetamine damage. NIDA Notes 19(4). http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol19N4/LongTerm.html
5. Brecht M.L., O’Brien A., von Mayrhauser C., & Anglin M.D. (2004). Methamphetamine use behaviors and gender differences. Addictive Behaviors 29(1):89-106.
6. Degenhardt L., Barker B., & Topp L. (2004). Patterns of ecstasy use in Australia: Findings from a national household survey. Addiction, 99(2): 187–195.
7. Srisurapanont M., Kittirattanapaiboon P., & Jarusuraisin N. (2005). Treatment for amphetamine psychosis. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. The Cochrane Library, 3.
8. McKetin R. & McLaren, J. (2004). The methamphetamine situation in Australia: A review of routine data sources. Perth, AU: NDARC Technical Report No. 172.
9. Ibid.
10. It is not yet clear whether this damage reverses itself upon quitting.