Last updated : December 23, 2024
More than 24 million people abuse amphetamines on a yearly basis. In the United States alone, about 13 million people who are over the age of 12 have used meth at some point in their life, with more than 500,000 of them being a regular abuser of the drug. From 1996 to 2006, the number of people admitted into drug treatment for an addiction to methamphetamine tripled. There is no denying that a worldwide epidemic of crystal meth abuse is being endured.
Crystal meth creates a false sense of well-being, and while many people may say it creates a false sense of energy, this belief is false. The drug itself does indeed produce high amounts of energy to the abuser; thus, being one of the reasons as to why people become addicted to the substance. Since an abuser’s body is pushed beyond the limits of what it was created to do when abusing the drug, there often comes an intense crash once the high is over.
Effects of Meth Abuse
Those who regularly abuse the drug tend to lose their appetites for food; thus, resulting in extreme weight loss. It is not uncommon at all for a person who abuses the drug for 30 days in a row to lose more than 20 to 30 pounds. Other negative effects of the drug include:
- Insomnia
- Hyperactivity
- Delusions of power
- Disturbed sleep paterns
- Increased aggressiveness
- Extreme irritability
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Anxiety
- Extreme paranoia
A person who abuses the drug for an extended period of time can endure irreversible harm, including:
- Strokes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver and kidney damage
- High blood pressure
- Lung damage
- Brain damage
- Severe memory loss
- Extreme mood swings
- Tooth decay
- Psychosis
- Depression
Types of Meth Users
There are three basic types of meth users, which include:
- Low-intensity meth abusers: Most times, a person who snorts or swallows meth is a low-intensity abuser. He or she can normally maintain a job as well as tend to family duties, such as keeping the house clean, picking kids up from school, etc. For many low-intensity users, an addiction is not endured, and the main reason for consuming the drug is to lose weight.
- Binge meth abusers: These abusers tend to inject or smoke meth. In doing this, they receive a much more intense buzz than low-intensity abusers. A person who is a binge meth abuser tends to develop an addiction to the substance.
- High-intensity meth abusers: High-intensity abusers usually inject the drug, even to the point that they will keep the drug in their pocket until a needle becomes available for them to inject it. Their whole existence is focused on getting high. Since their use of the drug is so extreme, even two to three days without the drug will seem like an eternity, and they never fully recover from their drug abuse until years down the road after eventually getting clean. Many times, the final outcome for a high-intensity meth abusers is either death or time being spent in jail.
Alternative Names for Crystal Meth
- Ice
- Speed
- Crank
- Dope
- Tina
- Chrissy
- Glass
Combating Meth Use
No matter where a business operates, South Milwaukee, Daytona Beach, Louisville, St. Paul, etc, there is a way to combat meth use, which involves drug testing employees. Fortunately, USA Mobile Drug Testing makes it simple for any type of business to drug test its workers.
By testing them, a positive drug test does not necessarily have to result in firing a worker. Instead, proper treatment can be provided; thus, allowing a person the chance to recover from the drug and return to work. If, however, sobriety cannot be maintained, it is best to fire the worker for good, as meth abuse can lead to many problems on the job, including work-related injuries.
