Methamphetamine
Health Period 6
Marisa Balkissoon

What is Methamphetamine?

Methamphetamine is an illegal man-made drug that creates a false sense of well being (happiness) and energy. Although it is illegal in distribution and production it is allowed by prescription. When you have a prescription it is known as Desoxny, this drug is non refillable and it is given in low dosage so you do not become prone to addiction. Meth is a stimulant and it is highly addictive. This means that it strongly activates certain systems in the brain. The person whom is taking the drug will push the body more than it should go. Being that this happens the drug user may experience a severe physical crash when the drug affects have wore off.

What Are Some Other Names For Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is also known as Chalk, Crank, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Fire, Glass, Meth, Tweek, and White Cross.

How Can Methamphetamine Be Taken?
This drug can be taken several ways that include, orally, injected, snorted or smoked.
What is Meth Made From?

Since methamphetamine is a man-made illegal drug, it is made in hidden laboratories. The person who is making the Meth uses various forms of amphetamine, or derivates from different chemicals to increase the potency of the meth. Often, common cold pills are used for the basis of the drug. The chemicals from the common cold pills are extracted then combined with different chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and antifreeze to increase the strength of the Meth.

How is Crystal Meth Made? (From howstuffworks.com)

If the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine isn't already in pure powder form, then it must be separated from the tablets of cold medicine that contain it. To do this, the cold medicine tablets are mixed with a solvent and the solution is then filtered and exposed to low temperatures to separate and remove the inert material of the tablet.
The pure pseudoephedrine is then mixed with red phosphorus and hydriodic acid.
The red phosphorus is then filtered out (and later reused), and adding a lye solution neutralizes the remaining acid.
A substance is added that will bind to the meth, and the liquid meth is then drained out.
Hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled through the liquid meth, making it a crystalline hydrochloride salt.
This is poured through a filter cloth, and the meth that is left on the filter is then dried.
Once dry, the meth is "stepped on" (mixed down with inert filler in order to maximize profits), weighed and packaged for shipment or sale.

What Are The Effects Of Meth?

Short Term
Loss of appetite
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
Dilation of pupils
Disturbed sleep patterns
Nausea
Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
Hallucinations, hyper excitability, irritability
Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures and death from high doses

Long Term

Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
Liver, kidney and lung damage
Destruction of tissues in nose if