Methamphetmines, an Epidemic

Methamphetamine; an Epidemic. Methamphetamine, “Ice, speed, chalk, crystal, glass, crank, yaba, fire, tina, tweak, poor man’s cocaine, uppers, trash, yellow barn, methlies quick, stove top, go fast.” (what is meth) , part of the amphetamine drug class, loosely known as uppers for the way they cause the user to become jittery and feel highly energetic, is gripping and wrenching the lives of Americans young and old across the nation. What is it made of? Why is it so appealing? How is it infesting itself into the schools, communities and lives of Americans? Why is it so addictive? Why is it so dangerous? Just how many Americans does it affect? What is law enforcement doing? How is it causing crime, violence, and arrests to rise? What are policy makers doing about it? All of these things will be herein explored, but one thing is certain, Methamphetamine use in America is an epidemic and should be treated as such. Like any serious disease methamphetamine addiction affects all aspects of one’s life. As is characteristic of many addictions the user lies to themselves and their friends and family because “As the addiction takes hold, meth users’ lives start to revolve around the drug. They’ll do anything or say anything to keep using.” (What is meth). As a result many users may become unpredictable “because methamphetamine changes the brain’s chemistry, it can cause wildly erratic behavior and mood swings. As a user becomes volatile’ friends and family are put on edge with no idea of what to expect when dealing with them.” (what is meth) and friends and family are left unsure how to deal with them and quite possibly feeling unsafe. Users may betray loved ones and even their own moral principles in order to get more of the drug. as the Meth Project (what is meth) puts it “some users resort to stealing to support their habit, and family and friends are often the victims. Users will sell or pawn stolen items, no matter how much sentimental value they may have.” Not