Last updated : November 11, 2024
Methamphetamine abuse has become a rampant epidemic for the United States. In fact, a single instance of crystal meth consumption can adumbrate a lifetime of physical and mental ailments. The substance is highly addictive, and it acts fast in deteriorating a wide range of physiological functions. Ultimately, the safest solution to remove this threat from civilization is to apply vigilant drug testing methods.
Even though the drug receives a moderate amount of media coverage, there has not been enough emphasis to dissuade the masses from the devastating effects it has on society as a whole. The dangers cannot be understated, and every life that is destroyed by meth collectively amasses a cultural void that has yet to be addressed by any productive policy; instead, law enforcement solely relies on criminalization tactics to make the damage even worse. Overall, any interactions with the substance can lead to a series of negative ramifications, and these include both short-term and long-term challenges. The horrifying symptoms are detailed below.
Psychological Deterioration
The substance induces the onset of paranoid schizophrenia and dementia. It also results in severe memory loss. Total cognitive collapse is a common outcome, and recovering addicts can permanently lose their basic motor functions. Many individuals experience a total psychological collapse. One of the most reported hallucinations is the illusion of bugs crawling on skin’s surface. This can lead to excessive scratching and scarring.
Loss of Impulse Control
Poor decision making is a trait regularly associated with all drug addicts, but it is uniquely frequent among abusers of crystal meth. The behaviors that arise include being prone to violent outbursts, gambling with essential funds and engaging in regretful sexual encounters. Respectively, these actions can lead to injurious incarceration, irreversible destitution and disfiguring sexually transmitted diseases.
External Effects
The powerful drug facilitates an annihilation of the body’s blood vessels and muscle tissues. This culminates in a constant state of biological disrepair. After just a few ingestions, severe acne starts to surface. These unpleasant skin abrasions appear all over the body, and the open sores take an extensive amount of time to recover due to weakened immune systems. This leaves the skin incredibly dry and cracked. The drug also inhibits any appetite for food, but it causes users to expend excessive energy for rigorous physical activity. This directly culminates in a hauntingly gaunt physique. Frailness gradually develops, and soon a person loses their ability to complete important daily chores.
Dental Degradation
The substance immediately saps all moisture from the mouth’s salivary glands. This allows tooth enamel to be decayed by natural acids. Within months, cavities can form. In addition to rotting, the teeth acquire a grotesque discoloration. Halitosis can also become a permanent condition.
Remnants Remain in Architecture
Production of the substance involves dangerous chemical interactions. Evidence of the drug’s procurement residually lingers inside any structure that housed a methamphetamine laboratory. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully trace a building’s internal history. Foreclosures can obscure this kind of negligent activity, but evidence will slowly arise. In addition to passing off a clean up cost that exceeds $100,000 to new owners, this endangers families that do not notice proof of the former drug lab. Residents of ex-meth dens can experience unexplained organ failure, and the mystery ailments can slowly kill all unsuspecting occupants. Pets are especially susceptible to these toxic chemicals, and children can develop a lifelong asthma condition from breathing the harmful air.
Regional Distribution
Because it is a highly addictive stimulant, the drug’s sub-culture quickly generates a densely concentrated membership wherever it is introduced. This scenario shatters communities, and it lends itself to vastly uneven geographic distributions of crystal meth users. Some areas are simply hit harder than others. For example, the deleterious substance is especially prevalent in the Denver South region. Lenient social attitudes regarding drugs have combined with poor economic conditions to facilitate a cesspool of meth related activity. In fact, Colorado’s Attorney General once remarked that the substance costs the state $1.4 billion per year. If taken in accord with the national statistic of $26 billion annually, this means that Colorado houses a disproportionately large number of the country’s abusers of methamphetamines. Only systematic drug testing could save this district.
