The Ugly Truth About Methamphetamine

The fight against meth is far from over click here to view story from the Star Tribune


Get the Facts, Learn the Science…

Methamphetamine affects your brain:
• Extreme mood swings
• Depression
• Extreme tiredness
• Paranoia and extreme nervousness
• Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there
• Permanent brain damage

Methamphetamine affects your body:
• By creating a false sense of energy, meth pushes the body harder than it can safely handle
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure can lead to a stroke or heart attack
• Long-term use can cause uncontrolled shaking and tremors

Methamphetamine affects your appearance:
• Severe (and life threatening) weight loss
• Hair loss
• Open sores or rashes

	Brain scan showing dopamine receptors (in red)
Normal brain		“Meth” brain
The loss of dopamine receptors is a bad thing!

• Loss of teeth -- “Meth mouth”
Methamphetamine causes depression:
• Dopamine - the brain chemical that makes us feel good - is released at above-normal levels when a
person is using meth.
• Their brain is then tricked into thinking that it no longer needs to produce dopamine.
• The bottom line? As dopamine levels
drop meth users become sad or fall into
a state of depression, often feeling like
they “hate” the world around them.

Methamphetamine kills:
Using meth can lead to an increased risk of:

•
Heart failure
• Liver, kidney, and lung damage
• Violence: murder and/or suicide

A few of the poisons that are found in meth:

• Drain cleaner • Battery acid • Starting fluid • Paint thinner • Lantern fuel

Before you Risk It…

Know the law. Making, selling, and using methamphetamine is illegal in every state

Want to go to jail? 25% of prison inmates in Minnesota are serving time for drug offences

Stay informed. In 2001, meth use sent more people to the hospital emergency room than any other ‘club’ drug
Get the facts. Meth is made from dangerous chemicals that are flammable, corrosive, and toxic. These chemicals can cause fires and explosions, and release toxic vapors that damage the environment and the health of meth makers.

Know the risks: Using meth can cause:
• A severe “crash” after the first intense effects wear off
• Irreversible damage to blood vessels in your brain
• Long-term depression
• Bad health and unattractive appearance
• Risky behaviors leading to injury or disease, such as HIV or AIDS

Know the Signs…

How can you tell if a friend is using meth? It may not be easy to tell. However, there are signs you can look for, which include:

• Long periods without sleep
• Increased sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises
• Can not sit still, hyperactive
• Irritability, dizziness, or confusion
• Extreme weight loss, long periods without eating
• Tremors or seizures
• Presence of items used to inhale, such as razor blades, mirrors, and straws, etc.
• Presence of items used to inject, such as syringes, burned spoons, or surgical tubing, etc.
• Presence of items used to smoke, such as pipes, pieces of tin foil, old cans, etc.

Age 12	Age 13
Died at age 15 from meth use

Rumor vs. Reality…

RUMOR: Meth can help you lose weight.
REALITY: Although meth does cause weight loss, chances are it will destroy your entire appearance. Meth addicts are usually concerned only about their next high, so they suffer from poor nutrition and lack of personal hygiene. So, while they may lose weight, meth users usually look scabby, scary, and half-dead… not like a supermodel.

RUMOR: Meth can give you the energy to stay up all night.
REALITY: Yep – and not just all night. Meth users often stay up for several days, taking more and more of the drug until they run out of meth, run out of money, or become too whacked out to continue. While at first it might sound like fun to have extra energy and not sleep for a few days, it actually destroys your body. Meth use causes muscle deterioration and damage to your kidneys, liver, and heart. When a meth user finally crashes after their high, they will often sleep for several days in a row.

RUMOR: Meth can give you a “rush.”
REALITY: The initial rush that meth causes is due to an increase of a “feel good” brain chemical called dopamine. Meth users feel good for a short while, but once they come down from that rush – and they always come down hard -- severe depression is common. Since they have artificially flooded their bodies with an excess of "happiness," the natural amount of dopamine released by their bodies without meth never seems like enough… and so they want more. That's why it's so easy to become addicted.

RUMOR: Meth can make you feel attractive and confident.
REALITY: While a user might feel cool and confident at first, the truth is that meth is made from several nasty poisons. Meth will erode tooth enamel and cause the user to crave sweets. When you combine a loss of tooth enamel, a poor diet, and a disregard for brushing, you end up with "meth mouth" (see photos, below), meaning bad teeth and very foul-smelling breath. And that’s not all – some meth users imagine that bugs are crawling under their skin. To get rid of these imaginary “crank bugs,” meth users will often scratch obsessively at their skin, creating really nasty scabs. Want more? Meth causes anxiety and violent rages and life-threatening weight loss. That is certainly not the image of a homecoming king or queen, is it?

Two examples of dental damage from meth use

How can you help a friend who is using meth?
Be a real friend. You might even save a life! Encourage your friend to stop using, or to seek help. If your friend can’t or won’t stop on his or her own, tell a trusted adult and ask for help. For honest information, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686. You can also call or visit the following places for help or a list of options:

Scott County Human Services: 952-445-7751
(Phones answered M-F, from 8:00 to 4:30)

www.notevenonce.com

http://2stopmeth.org

www.drugfree.org/endmeth/index.html

www.ncadi.samhsa.gov