Methamphetamine is an amphetamine that has been used in treating narcolepsy, Parkinson's Disease, and obesity. When used illegally, this drug, which is also called crank, speed, ice, chalk, crystal, and glass, may cause a person to be paranoid and violent.Crank can be smoked, snorted, sniffed, injected, or swallowed, and looks like a pill, powder, or clear chalk crystals.The drug was first originally synthesized in 1887 by a German Scientist. Meth was forgotten until the 1930's when it was discovered that the drug could increase a perso ...view middle of the document...
Meth can cause: angry, hostile, and anxious feelings, violent behaviors, confusion, mental illness, increased physical activity, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, inability to sleep, strokes can occur, chest pain, increased blood pressure, irregular heart rate, aids and HIV through the use of needles, dependence, tolerance, addiction, and can cause psychosis.The use of Meth is going up. In 1995, 3.9% of high school seniors had used it. That's an increase of 2.7% since 1990. 8 out of 10 people who try Meth will become addicted. Famous people who have done Meth include- Chris Farley, John Belushi, and Mick Jagger. The cost of doing Meth is very high too. A user can spend up to $100 a day. And sometimes, spending $400-$500 to support an addiction is not unusual. The penalties are very severe for those caught with Meth. Possession of any quantity of Meth can carry up to 7 years in prison. Distributing Meth carries a penalty of up to 15 years.Meth has become one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the Midwest. Rural Missouri has become the Meth capital of the world. In 1996, drug officers raided more than 236 Meth labs. Far more than any other state. Many Meth labs blow up everyday.About 20 percent of the Meth labs detected by the police are discovered because the lab has exploded.
