Uncovering the Truth About Methamphetamine Abuse

1. Methamphetamines • Crank or Glass

2. What is methamphetamine? • Source – NIDA Research Report – 1998

3. History of meth • Amphetamine created in Germany in 1887 • Used widely during WWII by the Nazi and Japanese armies • Japanese kamikaze pilots were documented to be high on meth • Major challenge in postwar Japan • Biker gangs in California after WWII began to distribute meth

4. Forms of Distribution

5. Injected How is meth used? • Snorted • Smoked • Orally

6. Methamphetamine/Amphetamine Treatment Admissions • by Route of Administration: 1992-2002 • Source: 2002 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

7. Meth causes… • Increased alertness • Decreased appetite • A distorted sense of well-being • Effects that can last 8 to 24 hours

8. U.S. Emergency Dept. Mentions of Meth/amphetamines 1995-2002 • DAWN, July 2004

9. Psychotic behavior Paranoia Aggression Anxiety Fatigue Depression Delusions Mood swings Confusion Insomnia Hallucinations Stroke Brain damage Weight loss Death “Meth Mouth” Face/body sores STDs/AIDS Behavior changes Health changes • Source – Congressional Research Sites

11. How does methamphetamine work? • Methamphetamine releases large amounts of dopamine in the brain, causing feelings of pleasure and euphoria. • Food/sex- 25 dopamine • Alcohol/nicotine- 100-200 dopamine • Cocaine- 350 dopamine • Meth- - 1,250 dopamine !!

12. FOOD SEX 200 200 NAc shell 150 150 DA Concentration (% Baseline) 100 100 15 % of Basal DA Output 10 Empty Copulation Frequency 50 Box Feeding 5 0 0 Scr Scr Scr Scr 0 60 120 180 Bas Female 1 Present Female 2 Present Mounts Time (min) Sample Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Intromissions Ejaculations Source: Di Chiara et al. Source: Fiorino and Phillips Natural Rewards Elevate Dopamine Levels

13. Effects of Drugs on Dopamine Levels COCAINE AMPHETAMINE Accumbens 1100 Accumbens 400 1000 900 DA 800 DA 300 DOPAC 700 DOPAC % of Basal Release HVA HVA 600 % of Basal Release 500 200 400 300 100 200 100 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 hr Time After Amphetamine Time After Cocaine MORPHINE NICOTINE 250 Accumbens 250 Dose (mg/kg) 200 Accumbens 0.5 200 Caudate 1.0 2.5 % of Basal Release 150 % of Basal Release 10 150 100 0 1 2 3 hr 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 hr 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5hr Time After Nicotine Time After Morphine Source: Di Chiara and Imperato

14. Effects of meth on dopamine Researchers report that the dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged after prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine. This means, after use of this drug you can no longer feel pleasure naturally… at all ! 

15. Long-term effects: What will happen in the future • Methamphetamine destroys the endings of dopamine containing nerve cells (NIDA 2)

16. MethamphetamineAcute Physical Effects • Increases • Heart rate • Blood pressure • Pupil size • Respiration • Sensory acuity • Energy • Decreases • Appetite • Sleep • Reaction time

17. Increases Confidence Alertness Mood Sex drive Energy Talkativeness Decreases Boredom Loneliness Timidity MethamphetamineAcute Psychological Effects

18. Highly Toxic Substances • Drain cleaner • Battery acid • Antifreeze • Over-the-counter asthma medicine containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine • Match-box striker (Red phosphorous) • Hydrochloric acid • Lye • Lantern fuel • (KCI)

19. Methamphetamine use and pregnancy • Possible effects found in the few human studies that exist include increased rates of premature delivery, placental abruption (early separation of a normal placenta from the wall of the uterus), retarded fetal growth, and cardiac and brain abnormalities. • Source: Volkow, Nora, M.D., Director, NIDA. April 21, 2005. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services; Education; and Related Agencies. Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate. www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t050425b.html

20. Meth Mouth: Myth and Reality

21. How many Americans use methamphetamines? • Lifetime use: 4.9 percent of those aged 12 and over (12 million people) • Past-year use: 0.6 percent of those aged 12 and over (1.4 million people) • Past-month use: 0.2 percent of those aged 12 and over (600,000 people) • Source: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. September 16, 2005. The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004, In Brief. http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/meth/meth.htm

22. Environmental effects of meth • Meth production leaves behind 5 to 6 pounds of toxic waste per pound of meth produced. • Toxic by-products contaminate sites where meth is produced, posing serious health and environmental hazards to those nearby. • The cost to clean up one meth lab often exceeds $4,000. • Source – Koch Crime Institute

23. Impacts on families • Danger of children being exposed to toxic fumes • Children are more at risk than adults to environmental hazards, as their bodies are immature • Risk of explosion, fire, and chemical burns • Exposure to weapons, finished drugs, and unsanitary conditions

24. More impacts on families • Increase in child abuse and neglect cases • Increased risk for substance abuse among children in later life • A rise in domestic disputes

25. Key points on methamphetamine • Methamphetamine is a drug that can be effectively used for several medical conditions • When used illegally, Meth is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that can be made easily from legally available products. • Twelve million Americans ages 12 and over have used meth at least once; use is most common between ages 19 and 40. • Meth labs use and produce toxic, explosive chemicals; meth labs are dangerous and expensive to clean up. • Exposure to chemicals used to make meth may cause cancer, damage the brain and other organs, and result in birth defects.