Methamphetamine
Drug use, abuse and addiction have plagued our country now for many decades. However, a fairly newer drug known as methamphetamine has been on the rise for the past twenty years or so. In America, it is believed to have begun on the west coast, making its way to the east coast only in recent years. Some of the street names for methamphetamine include meth, speed, ice, crystal, chalk, crank and glass. Unlike alcohol, tobacco products, marijuana, cocaine and heroin, which are made from growing plants, methamphetamine is made synthetically from household products and chemicals. Nevertheless, its causes and effects are far from artificial. In the proceeding information, the following questions will be answered: How does meth cause its “high” and what are some of the reasons is it so appealing to its users? What damaging effects does it have on a person’s mind and body? What are some of the problems it causes in a person’s life?
Methamphetamine’s main attraction to the user is its euphoric-stimulant effect. Even in very small amounts it causes wakefulness, increased physical activity and decreased appetite. It also causes an excited state called euphoria, which can be more or less depending on the way in which it is introduced into a person’s body. Meth affects the central nervous system by causing the brain to release a pleasure neurotransmitter called dopamine. Neurons of the brain usually recycle dopamine, but meth is able to fool