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12 Million Meth Users
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| Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“Methamphetamine is the worst drug we’ve ever come up against. It’s the most addictive drug we currently know about. And once you are addicted to it, we don’t have many success stories of people getting off of it until their lives are completely ruined.”
– Sgt. Jason Grellner, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department
Methamphetamine is described as “cocaine times 10.” It’s powerful and potent, and the addiction can start the first time you use the drug. Despite the warnings, the use of meth continues to rise.
A straight-A student, Jamie Kane began using methamphetamine her senior year in high school.
“I was just awake. I could see and hear everything. I couldn’t sit down. I just wanted to do everything. It was fun at first,” she remembers.
She says she was addicted instantly. Now, just six months later, Kane is in jail, charged with conspiracy to manufacture meth -- a felony.
“I knew that my life wasn’t how it should have been, but I never really had the time to think about it because [on the drug] I was always going, going, going. But now I see what my life has turned out to be, in such a short period of time.”
Previously, the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that more than 12 million people over the age of 12 have used meth. Now the NIDA say that number is too low.
Sgt. Jason Grellner, Franklin County (MO) Sheriff’s Department, has seen the effects of meth first hand.
“Methamphetamine is the worst drug we’ve ever come up against,” he says. “It’s the most addictive drug we currently know about. And once you are addicted to it, we don’t have many success stories of people getting off of it until their lives are completely ruined.”
Kane says, “It was horrible. I lost everything I had. I didn’t know where I was going to sleep when I was coming down. I had to walk around and find someplace to sleep.”
Is there something Kane’s parents could have done to help keep her from using meth? It’s a difficult question, but in hindsight, Kane has one suggestion for parents: be firm and be tough.
“If it’s not going to better them in life, don’t let them do it,” she says. “Explain why they can’t do it. I’ve never had anybody there telling me not to do something, or it’s going to mess your life up, or it’s going to send you to jail. I had to find out the hard way.”
What We Need To Know
- Methamphetamine is a very addictive stimulant drug. It can be smoked, injected, inhaled or taken by mouth. It has many street names, such as speed, meth and chalk. (National Institutes of Health)
- Effects of methamphetamine abuse may include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse and death. Long-term effects may include paranoia, aggressiveness, extreme anorexia, memory loss, visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and severe dental problems. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Methamphetamine is second only to alcohol and marijuana as the drug used most frequently in many states. (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency)
- Methamphetamine affects the brain and can create feelings of pleasure, increase energy and elevate mood. Abusers may become addicted quickly, needing higher doses more often. (National Institutes of Health)
- Adverse health effects include irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and a variety of psychological problems. Long-term effects may include severe mental disorders, memory loss and severe dental problems. (National Institutes of Health)
- Methamphetamine increases the release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the brain functions. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Resources
- The National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
