Essay On Methamphetamine And Substance Abuse

Methamphetamine and College Age Students an Overview
Substance abuse has become a major problem in today’s society. Every walk of life and every age group has had issues both direct and indirect in regards to substance abuse. One particular age group has had noted issues with drugs and alcohol. College students are especially vulnerable to the temptation of substance abuse while attempting to complete their studies. One particular drug has become a perennial problem in the college communities due to the ease in which it can be acquired. Methamphetamine have caused numerous issues with addiction and derailment of academic goals for those in the 20-24 age group (otherwise known as college age).
Overview of Methamphetamine
In order to understand the issues and dangers of Methamphetamine one must first understand what they are. Methamphetamine also known on the street as crystal meth or simply meth is a very addictive and very powerful stimulant. Methamphetamine are a part of the class of drug known as amphetamines and was discovered early in the 20th century. It was initially used as an asthma and upper respiratory medication and would typically be prescribed to combat nasal congestion, typically administered as a spray inhalant. Additionally some research as shown that it can be used to treat other disorders
such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a result of some legitimate medical treatments methamphetamines have been assigned as a schedule II drug available as a non-refillable script from a licensed doctor. Today the majority of society view methamphetamine as a club drug and due to media and TV shows such as Breaking Bad it could be argued that it has been glamorized in some ways. (Kelly, 2013)
Methamphetamine can be taken in a variety of ways, including but not limited to smoking, inhaling as described before, ingestion, and even injected via a needle. The more typical way the average user of methamphetamine will abuse the drug is via smoking or injection due to the speed that the drug will hit the person bloodstream and begin to affect the central nervous system. Once in the bloodstream and interacting with brain the initial effect only last a few minutes at most and has been described as a feeling of extreme euphoria and pleasure. If orally ingested the affect lasts a bit longer and initial rush does not hit as hard and the effects will typically last far longer. (Kelly, 2013) As a result of the speed of action the typical abuser will binge on the drug then once they experience withdrawal symptoms, often called a crash or crashing, they will take more of the drug. As time goes on the user will then build up a tolerance which then leads to more use to achieve a greater high. (Mckenna, 2013)
Unfortunately Methamphetamine is very easily obtained and created.
Underground laboratories detected to the production of this drug are very easy to set up and operate. It takes very few pieces of equipment to set up your typical underground meth lab. Some labs have converted used soda bottles to “cook” the chemicals in order to produce the drug. Additionally raiding the typical backyard meth lab does not end the problem as the lab will more than likely be easily set up elsewhere within a day or two (sooner if the group that has built the lab in the first place doesn’t have a backup already in place ready to go). (Maisto, Galizio, and Connors,
2015)
To make a bad situation even worse is the simple fact that the ingredients for Methamphetamine are easily obtained at most grocery stores and pharmacies in the United States. Meth can easily be derived from pseudoephedrine a very common ingredient in most over the counter cold medications. Laws passed by the United States Congress and various state and local governments have only made it mildly inconvenient for those wanting to produce methamphetamine in large quantities to acquire needed materials. Some of the laws passed have even caused some common over the counter medication to now require a prescription in order to purchase any medication that contains pseudoephedrine in order to attempt to curb the creation and abuse. However many of those that produce methamphetamine have gotten around these laws and policies by simply going from store to store in a process known as smurfing in order to avoid the bans and limitations that have been put into place to prevent bulk acquisition of any drug that contains pseudoephedrine. In addition some production has moved to other countries in order to take advantage of laxer drug laws or spotty or corrupt law enforcement. (Maisto, Galizio, and Connors, 2015)
The creation of Methamphetamine also requires other ingredients many of which if used improperly can be considered hazardous chemicals or substances. Anhydrous ammonia (basically fertilizer), the heavy metal lithium (often used in high capacity batteries), and acetone (nail polish remover is a common source) are just a few of the common ingredients. Any of these substances can react poorly to mishandling, misuse or improper storage. In addition these chemicals can be very toxic to the environment and can lead to many environmentally related diseases and disorders for those around them. (Gilbreath, 2015) Cleanup of a meth lab that has been seized can cost a community several thousand dollars in both clean up and healthcare costs. (Weisheit and Wells, 2014) Additionally those creating Methamphetamine often end up with severe long term health aliments due to the over exposure to the toxins from the ingredients as they are heated. Also of concern for the one creating the drug (in addition to those next door to the lab) is the risk of fire or explosion as many of the ingredients are highly flammable and/or will readily oxidize. (Gilbreath, 2015)