OREGON NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION
O.N.E.A.
ONEA has information available on a variety of topics revolving around controlled substances. Methamphetamine is at the forefront of news in Oregon and now around the nation. Here, we will try to answer any questions you may have about methamphetamine but should you have questions about any other dangerous drug or narcotic, please feel free to email us and we will respond with current information.
Methamphetamine is a very addictive stimulant drug that activates
certain systems in the brain. It is chemically related to
amphetamine but, at comparable doses, the effects of methamphetamine
are much more potent, longer lasting, and more harmful to the
central nervous system (CNS).
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a
high potential for abuse and is available only through a
prescription that cannot be refilled. It can be made in small,
illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in
the labs, neighbors, and the environment. Street methamphetamine is
referred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk."
Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice,
which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal,"
"glass," and "tina."
Methamphetamine is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the
powder), by needle injection, or by smoking. Abusers may become
addicted quickly, needing higher doses and more often. At this time,
the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are
behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral and contingency
management interventions.
Methamphetamine increases the release of very high levels of the
neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing
mood and body movement. Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly
changes how the brain functions. Animal research going back more
than 30 years shows that high doses of methamphetamine damage neuron
cell endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing neurons do not die
after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings ("terminals") are
cut back, and regrowth appears to be limited. Noninvasive human
brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the activity of the
dopamine system. These alterations are associated with reduced motor
speed and impaired verbal learning. Recent studies in chronic
methamphetamine abusers have also revealed severe structural and
functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and
memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive
problems observed in chronic methamphetamine abusers.
Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia. Other effects of methamphetamine abuse may include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse and death. Long-term effects may include paranoia, aggressiveness, extreme anorexia, memory loss, visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and severe dental problems.
Also, transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C can be a
consequence of methamphetamine abuse. Among abusers who inject the
drug, infection with HIV and other infectious diseases is spread
mainly through the re-use of contaminated syringes, needles, and
other injection equipment by more than one person. The intoxicating
effects of methamphetamine, however, whether it is injected or taken
other ways, can alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to
engage in unsafe behaviors. Methamphetamine abuse actually may
worsen the progression of HIV and its consequences; studies with
methamphetamine abusers who have HIV indicate that the HIV causes
greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment compared with
HIV-positive people who do not use drugs.
According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 5.77% of the U.S. population aged 12 or older used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes for nonmedical purposes. Further data indicate that past year methamphetamine use was higher in the West (1.6%) than in the Northeast (0.3%), Midwest (0.5%) or South (0.7%) in 2006. The rates of past year use in 2006 were similar to those in 2002 in each respective region.
In 2006 there were an estimated 731,000 current users of methamphetamine, aged 12 or older, representing 0.3% of the population. Among persons aged 12 or older, there were 259,000 recent, new users of methamphetamine taken for nonmedical purposes during 2006. These estimates do not differ significantly from estimates for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.