Meth: A
drug like no other
SPEARFISH
-
Methamphetamine is a drug that is unlike any other drug in the world,
according to recent reports from drug educators, law enforcement officials,
social workers and other people who maintain a daily mission to fight the
war on drugs nationwide.
"One of the things that Meth does is it gives you that immediate
high, that huge rush," said Robert Nickisch, Meth educator for Sturgis'
Action for the Betterment of our Community. "And after that you never feel
quite the same again and your normal is lower than it ever has been. So the
more Meth you use the lower and lower your normal is and the less and less
you can feel any pleasure. So, you try and take more and more Meth (to get
the original high.)"
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, some physical
effects of Meth use include hypothermia, convulsions, and cardiovascular
collapse. Long-term effects can also include kidney complications, lung
disorders, brain and liver damage, and blood clots. Additionally, the
National Drug Intelligence Center reports that since Meth is such a powerful
stimulant that affects the central nervous system, the drug can cause
insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, mood swings, hallucinations, delusions and
violent behavior. It is during the "tweaking" stage, when the user is more
prone to hallucinations and paranoia, when thought patterns can become
particularly dangerous, sometimes leading to homicidal or suicidal
tendencies. The tweaking phase is the "down side" of Meth use when the user
cannot seem to satisfy the need for more Meth no matter how much they may
take.
According to reports from Northern Hills Alcohol and Drug Services
in Spearfish and Sturgis, Meth is manufactured using highly toxic chemicals
such as freon, anhydrous ammonia, and sulphuric acid, and the drug is
classified as a psychostimulant.
Much like cocaine, which has the same classification, Meth causes
the body to accumulate massive amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine,
producing an euphoric high for the user. However, unlike cocaine, which is
produced from all natural materials, the chemical makeup of methamphetamine
creates a longer effect on the body. According to official published reports
from Northern Hills Alcohol and Drug Services, while cocaine has a half-life
of about one hour in the body, Meth's half-life can be 12 hours.
"Cocaine is based on a natural product and is metabolized fairly
quickly in the user's body. As a natural product, cocaine use will send
strong abuse and withdrawal signals back to the user. Methamphetamine is a
chemical compound and is metabolized very slowly. Methamphetamine sends very
little abuse and withdrawal signals back to the user (in the beginning); yet
the internal damage it does to the user's brain and internal organs is
almost immediate," stated one report produced by Alcohol and Drug Services
for the Northern Black Hills Association of Realtors. The report is entitled
"Methamphetamine: The ugliest drug in the world."
According to officials from Northern Hills Alcohol and Drug
Services, the extended period of time that Meth stays in the body combined
with the chemical damage caused to internal organs is one of the main
reasons the drug is so addictive. As one of the most addictive drugs in the
world, Meth educators said studies have shown that nine out of 10 people who
use methamphetamine are addicted the first time. Further, Deb Hughes of the
Lawrence County Department of Social Services said the damage to the brain
is permanent the first time someone uses Meth, or is directly exposed to its
by-products. Changes to brain function and to the user's ability to handle
normal life functions may be alarming.
Both local and national experts agree on the real danger to and from
Meth addicts in the "tweaking" phase. "During the tweaking stage a
methamphetamine user often has not slept for days and consequently is
extremely irritable," one report from the National Drug Intelligence Center
states. "The tweaker also craves more methamphetamine, which results in
frustration and contributes to anxiety and restlessness. In this stage the
tweaker does not need a confrontation or provocation to become violent."
In fact, according to Nickisch, some of the most heinous, violent
crimes committed are commonly linked to methamphetamine use. According to
Northern Hills Alcohol and Drug statistics, 89.4 percent of violent crimes
in South Dakota are Meth related. That, Nickisch said, includes everything
from domestic crimes, to sexually based offenses and homicides. "Meth is
much more violent," Nickisch said. "You're in danger every time you walk by
a Meth user. There is a particular stage in Meth use called tweaking when
they are the most violent. You could go from sitting across the table being
a nice person to being a deadly enemy in the snap of a finger. That's what
it does."
In addition to the violent tendencies that can result from long-term
usage, police and other drug educators say due to the long period of time
the drug is in the body, and the permanent damage the drug causes, addiction
treatment can take significantly longer compared to treatments for other
drugs and alcohol. The standard 30 to 90-day treatment model simply does not
work for Meth addicts, who often require between 12 to 18 months of
intensive in-patient rehabilitation. "(That's) to even have a little
chance," said Dale McCabe, of the S.D. Division of Criminal Investigation in
Rapid City.
This treatment, officials say, is often paid for with tax dollars
since many rehabilitation facilities receive funding from the state. "You
are paying more and more for treatment of Meth related addiction because the
standard 30 day model for coke addiction and so forth, it doesn't work,"
Nickisch said. And even after an intensive treatment period, Nickisch and
McCabe said due to the heavy hold the drug has on the body, the user still
may not be able to kick the habit.
This, officials say, can affect everything from taxpayer's dollars allocated
to state-run treatment facilities, to families that are broken up while a
Meth user is in treatment.
Overall, drug enforcement and education officials said the long and
short-term physical and social effects of methamphetamine are the biggest
reason members of the community should stand up and take notice of an
ever-growing drug problem. The fact that the drug has the potential to
affect even non-users through violent tendencies, tax dollars, negative
influences and other aspects makes methamphetamine one of the most dangerous
drugs around, officials say.
"We simply cannot allow the community to develop a tolerance for Meth like
we have tolerated alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and in some cases, even
cocaine," Nickisch said. "Meth is much more dangerous."
Part
One of the Series: Meth – Everyone’s
Problem
Part Two of the Series:
What is Meth?
Part Three of the Series:
Long Story Short - An Addict's Tale
Part
four of
the series:
Meth: A drug like no other
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