Crystal Meth. Final Paper Section 3
Submit the third section of your final paper. The third section of your final paper should be 2-3 pages long and address treatment for addiction to your chosen drug. Make sure to address the following questions:What is the treatment for the drug you selected? What are the statistics on recovery and relapse after treatment?Add this section to your revised first and second sections and update your reference list. Add an abstract and include the cover page.
Crystal Methamphetamine: A Crystal Clear Understanding of the Drug
Patrick A. Corbeil
New England College
Methamphetamine was first created in 1893 using another type of stimulant by a
Japanese chemist. Stimulants such as methamphetamine were being created in order to produce
a man-made version of the Ephedra plant. The ephedra plants extracts had been used by the
Chinese for over 5000 years. Nagai Nagayoshi, a Japanese chemist, identified the active
chemical in the ephedra plant which we now know as ephedrine, in 1885. Until 1919,
Methamphetamine was difficult to produce. That was until Akira Ogarta, another Japanese
Chemist, managed to streamline the process of producing methamphetamine. He was able to
crystalize the methamphetamine by using phosphorus and iodine, thus creating the first Crystal
Meth.
A German pharmaceutical company marketed a tablet form of meth, named Pervitin.
Due to methamphetamines ability to keep users awake. During World War II, the American,
Japanese British, and German forces would provide their troops methamphetamine in order to
keep them stimulated/awake. High doses of the drug were given to Japanese kamikaze pilots
before they took off on their suicide missions. Furthermore, German frontline forces were told
to take tablets that contained a combination of both methamphetamine and cocaine.
Following World War II, in the 1950’s, methamphetamine was prescribed as a diet aid, as
well as a drug to fight depression. Methamphetamine, at the time, was easily accessible and used
by individuals such as college students, athletes and truck drivers who needed the extra boost to
ward off fatigue. Due to its easy accessibility, the abuse of methamphetamine started to become
wide spread.
In the 1980’s the United States started to crack down on the accessibility of ephedrine,
the compound needed to create crystal meth. With the government tighting the accessibility of
ephedrine, there was an uptick in illegal meth labs. These “chemist” realized that they could
create crystal meth from a compound known as pseudoephedrine, which is found in common
cold medicines.
In the 1990’s the use of methamphetamine blew up, from 2% usage in adults, to 5%. In
2006, meth was declared the most abused hard drug within the United States. Since then, there
have been limits put on the sale of pseudoephedrine, and luckily there has been a decline in the
use of meth over the past decade.
Thought people may think that methamphetamine has a positive impact on the human
body because of its ability to enhance certain normal body functions like increased alertness as
well as concentration, it does have significant negative effects.
The misuse of methamphetamine, has the potential to cause brain damage. It was found
that 1 in 5 individuals who had misused methamphetamine, had a lesion in their brain when
examines with an MRI. Furthermore, even low dosage of methamphetamine have been found to
damage or destroy up to 50% of dopamine producing neurons.
Additionally, the misuse of methamphetamine has negative effects on the digestive
system, cardiovascular system as well as individuals’ emotions. Long term misuse of
methamphetamine can lead to what is referred to as “meth-mouth”. This condition is a rapid
tooth decay or damage in which the removal of the individual’s teeth is required. Moreover,
users of methamphetamine or at a higher risk of myocardial infraction, commonly known as a
heart attack. Users of meth between the ages of 18 and 44 have a 61% higher risk of having a
heart attack over their peers who do not use the drug. Furthermore, users of methamphetamine
can fall into a deep depression, which potentially could lead to suicide.
REFERENCES
History.com Editors (2018) History of Meth, retrieved from
https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-meth
Doweiko E, H. (2018) Concepts of chemical dependency 10th edition. Cengage Learning
Inc.
Crystal Meth Pt 2
Patrick Corbeil
New England College
Crystal meth, commonly known as crystal methamphetamine, is an illegal stimulant drug
that is highly addictive and has a long-lasting euphoric side effect. It is a strong and highly
addictive drug affecting the central nervous system. The drug has no legal use. Informally
referred to as meth or glass due to it resembling fragments of glass of different sizes and is a
colorless form of d-methamphetamine, odorless synthetic psychostimulant. According to Radfar
& Rawson (2016), crystal meth increases the release and ends the reuptake of brain chemicals
referred to as dopamine. Consequently, it improves the levels of dopamine in the body.
Dopamine plays an essential role in motor function and how the brain interprets and experiences
pleasure. The user gets a sense of euphoria immediately after use of the drug from the dopamine
or rush in the reward centers of the brain. Dopamine builds up in the brain after taking crystal
meth, which is a common feature of different abused drugs. Considerable changes occur in the
brain function after the abuse of crystal meth. Many people get addicted to meth right from the
start of using it because of its powerful rush. The brain is flooded with dopamine when the drug
is used, which regulates feelings of pleasure, and abusers feel energetic and confident.
Meth is one of the most dangerous drugs on the market due to its extreme physical and
psychological toll on the body. The warning signs and symptoms of drug use are visible in
different ways, and they deeply affect the user’s body and brain. Meth abuse leads to a sudden
loss of interest in life, such as relationships, hobbies, and career objectives, which are forgone
when a person is getting and using meth. Initially, individuals deny and hide meth use, but the
longer the drug is abused, the more prominent it turns in a person’s life. The drug changes how
abusers feel and think, which turns from a recreational drug a life priority (Chris, 2018).
However, after several consumptions, the same dose has a different effect from the first take.
Individuals become addicted to the drug after a few times. It grows a tolerance, and addicts need
more of crystal meth to attain the same effect.
Crystal meth, as an addictive drug, changes the abuser’s brain chemistry causing
psychosis, agitation, and anxiety, fatigue and insomnia, and severe depression, among other
effects. An addict possibly experiences emotional turmoil and intense cravings at times. Also, the
signs last for weeks, depending on the addiction period. The following signs will also be evident
to crystal meth addicts; carelessness in personal grooming or appearance, loss of appetite and
weight loss, obsessively picking at skin or hair, mood swings or angry outbursts, psychotic
behavior like hallucination and paranoia, and strange sleeping patterns such as staying up for
days.
Crystal meth addicts experience a false sense of well-being and energy, and abusers
usually push their bodies faster than they are meant to function. Thus, after the effect of the meth
wear off, the addicts experience a mental and physical breakdown or a severe crash. Abusers also
have extreme weight loss since the continued use of meth reduces natural feelings of hunger.
Adverse effects can also comprise of increased aggressiveness and irritability, hyperactivity, and
delusions of power. Other severe effects include confusion, anxiety, hallucinations, and
insomnia.
In some cases, convulsions cause death. Irreversible damage is caused by meth abuse in
the long term: cardiovascular caused by irregular heartbeat or strokes as a result of damaged
blood vessels due to increased heartbeat rate and blood pressure (Embry et al. 2019). Also, it
causes kidney, liver and lung damage leading to collapse or death. Addicts can suffer from brain
damage including memory loss and grow an inability to grasp abstract thoughts. Extreme mood
swings and memory gaps are experienced by those who recover
References
Chris Elkins, M. (2018). Signs of Meth Use. Retrieved 24 February 2020, from
https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/crystal-meth/signs-of-use/
Embry, D., Hankins, M., Biglan, A., & Boles, S. (2019). Behavioral and social correlates of
methamphetamine use in a population-based sample of early and later
adolescents. Addictive behaviors, 34(4), 343-351.
Radfar, S. R., & Rawson, R. A. (2016). Current research on methamphetamine: epidemiology,
medical and psychiatric effects, treatment, and harm reduction efforts. Addiction &
Health, 6(3-4), 146.