Last updated : November 11, 2024
Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth or crank, has been a major problem around the world for many years. It has been directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. For the people who get addicted and do not die, their lives are usually destroyed, resulting in divorce, health problems and losing their job.
How many people use meth?
There are approximately 500 metric tons of amphetamine-type stimulants produced across the globe yearly. This adds up to be around 24.7 million abusers worldwide. In 2008, the United States government released a report that claimed 13 million people over the age of 12 have tried methamphetamine. Of those 12 million people, 529,000 were considered to be regular users.
From 1996 to 2006, the number of people admitted to drug treatment facilities because of amphetamine and methamphetamine abuse tripled from three percent to nine percent. The state of Hawaii has one of the highest percentages. In 2007, 48.2 percent of the people enrolled in drug abuse programs in Hawaii were there because of crystal meth abuse.
The Czech Republic is one of the countries that has been hit hardest by meth addiction. The drug is referred to as Pervitin. It is manufactured in mostly small labs. Most of the meth that is produced in the Czech Republic is used by Czech citizens. However, a portion of it is also exported to Canada and other parts of Europe. 20 to 60 percent of all people seeking drug abuse treatment in Latvia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic are meth and amphetamine users. Meth can be found in pill form in Southeast Asia. It is called Shabu in the Philippines and Yaba in Thailand.
How does using meth impact a person’s health?
Taking crystal meth and meth will create a false sense of energy and well-being. Therefore, a person will have a tendency to push his or her body beyond its physical limits. It is common for users of these drugs to suffer a serious mental and physical breakdown once the effects of the drugs have completely worn off. This breakdown is referred to as a crash.
Using these drugs on a continual basis will lower a person’s level of hunger. This will often cause weight loss that is both rapid and extreme. Some of the other negative effects that users commonly experience are irritability, increased aggressiveness, delusions of power, nausea, hyperactivity and disturbances to their sleep patterns. Some of the other serious effects that users can experience are paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations, confusion and insomnia. There have also been reported cases where users experienced convulsions that caused their death.
What are the long-term effects of using meth?
If used over a long period of time, meth can cause physical damage that is irreversible. These problems can include increased blood pressure and heart rate. The lungs, kidneys and liver can all be damaged. Blood vessels located in the brain can be destroyed to the point where it eventually leads to an irregular heartbeat or a stroke. These problems can then snowball and result in cardiovascular collapse or the person’s death.
Brain damage of meth users is also a possibility. This can include the inability to grasp abstract thoughts and memory loss. Even people who completely quit using meth after a long period of usage commonly experience extreme mood swings and gaps in their memory.
Why should you test for drugs?
If you run a business, you need to know if your employees are using drugs. USA Mobile Drug Testing is a company that provides mobile drug and alcohol testing for companies. There is no need to send the tests to a lab. They come to your workplace to perform the tests. USAMDT is dedicated to helping employers lower their amount of employee absenteeism, increase the overall productivity of their staff and manage their workers comp risk. The tests they perform are all done according to state regulations and Federal Drug Free Workplace Testing guidelines. There are locations in cities such as New York, Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago and many other cities across the United States.
