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(Amphetamine, dextroamphetamine,
methamphetamine, and their various salts are collectively referred to as
amphetamines. In fact, their chemical properties and actions are so similar
that even experienced users have difficulty knowing which drug they have taken.
Methamphetamine is the most commonly abused.)
Street terms for methamphetamine: Meth, poor man's
cocaine, crystal meth, ice, glass, speed1
What Does Methamphetamine Look Like?
- Typically meth is a white powder that easily
dissolves in water.
- Another form of meth, in clear chunky crystals,
called crystal meth, or ice.
- Meth can also be in the form of small, brightly
colored tablets. The pills are often called by their Thai name, yaba.
What are the methods of usage?
- Injecting
- Snorting
- Smoking
- Oral
ingestion 2
Who uses methamphetamine and
amphetamines?
- During 2000, 4% of the U.S. population reported trying
methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime.3
- Abuse
is concentrated in the western, southwestern, and midwestern United
States.
How do methamphetamine and amphetamines get to the
United States?
- Clandestine laboratories in California and Mexico are the primary
sources of supply for methamphetamine available in the United
States.
- Domestic labs that produce methamphetamine are dependent on
supplies of the precursor chemical pseudoephedrine, which is sometimes diverted
from legitimate sources. It is smuggled from Canada, and to a lesser extent
from Mexico.
- Domestic independent laboratory operators, mostly in the western,
southwestern, and midwestern United States, also produce and distribute
methamphetamine but on a smaller scale.
- Yaba
(meth in tablet form) is most often produced in Southeast Asia and sent by mail
or courier to the United States.4
How much do methamphetamine and amphetamines cost?
- Prices for methamphetamine vary throughout different regions of the
United States.
- At
the distribution level, prices range from $3,500 per pound in parts of
California and Texas to $21,000 per pound in southeastern and northeastern
regions of the country. Retail prices range from $400 to $3,000 per ounce.5
What are some consequences of methamphetamine and amphetamine
use?
- Effects of usage include addiction, psychotic behavior, and brain
damage .6
- Withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia,
aggression, and intense cravings. 7
- Chronic use can cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia,
auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, and paranoia.
8
- Damage to the brain cause by meth usage is similar to Alzheimer's
disease, stroke, and epilepsy.9
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