Understanding the Hazardous Chemical Composition of Crystal Meth

The makeup of crystal meth features several chemicals that can cause severe damage to the body. Ephedrine (C10H15NO) or pseudoephedrine is the main and most important ingredient in meth. Ephedrine was taken from the plant, Ephedra, and was used to make methamphetamine (Scheve). The amphetamine is used in some cold or cough medicines and in diet pills, but has been restricted by the government due to people abusing the substance (“Crystal Meth Ingredients”). Acetone (C3H6O) is a chemical used in paint thinner and nail polish remover that is also found in meth. Ammonia (NH3) is used in fertilizers, cleaners, and in crystal meth. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a chemical that is used to make plastic and meth, and it can remove rust from steel.

Lithium (Li) is a chemical element found in batteries and in crystal meth. Red phosphorus (P) is used in road flares, on matchboxes, and in several other explosives including meth. Toluene (C6H5-CH3) is a chemical used in brake fluid and in meth, and can dissolve rubber. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is another chemical used in cleaners and meth, but it is also used to dissolve roadkill. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a chemical found in meth, toilet cleaner, and drain cleaner. These chemicals found in meth are extremely flammable, create toxic gases and react violently with other chemicals, eat away flesh, burn skin, cause blindness, and can cause several other harmful effects anyone around them. In 1893, Nagayoshi Nagai, a Japanese scientist, was responsible for creating methamphetamine. During World War II, meth was in extremely high demand; meth was given to Nazi soldiers to boost their endurance, prevent fatigue, and keep them awake. The drug was also used by Japanese, American, and English soldiers during the war as well. After the war, the meth supply in Japan exceeded the demand so an over-the-counter pill called Pervitin was produced and sold to the public. During the 1950’s, the United States, Germany, and Japan experienced a meth epidemic with the mass production and mass consumption of speed by the public (“Methamphetamines”) (Lazarra). Despite the laws passed to control this problem, millions of people all over the world are addicted to meth and facing the life-threatening consequences.

It is typically common knowledge that meth is a highly destructive drug, but it is mostly unknown how meth chemically affects the central nervous system.

Meth can cause blood vessels to constrict, resulting in a lack of steady blood flow to the rest of the body. Meth addiction can cause damage to the blood vessels and destroy them, resulting in damage to the surrounding tissues and preventing the body from being able to repair itself. Meth causes an increase in body temperature which results in excessive sweating and dehydration. This results in protective oils being removed from the skin which can cause a tingling sensation to be felt at the nerve endings. This creates a feeling of bugs crawling all over the body. When a meth addict picks at their skin, the sores, as a result, take longer to heal. Methamphetamine releases an excessive amount of dopamine in the brain, instantly causing a sense of euphoria and an intense feeling of pleasure. Meth also releases a surge of adrenaline which puts the body into a state called tweaking which is characterized by wakefulness, obsessive behavior, and anxiety. This high lasts between six and twelve hours, but after the high ends, the addict experiences a crash and a feeling of depression and weakness. The addict continues to take and abuse the drug so that they do not experience the crash which may appear to be worse than the effects of the drug itself. Eventually, it will be impossible for a meth addict to experience

pleasure because meth will damage and destroy the dopamine receptors in the brain. This results in an addict’s cognitive abilities being permanently impaired. This is because meth completely alters the chemistry of the brain (“How Meth Destroys The Body”). When meth enters the body, it instantly alters its chemistry and results in extremely destructive effects.

Methamphetamine is an illegal, stimulant drug that is sold as crystalline rocks that can be smoked, snorted, injected, or swallowed. It is odorless, white in color, and known as speed, ice, chalk, crank, or glass (“‘No Denying’ Crystal Meth”). Meth not only severely alters the central nervous system, but it also has many extremely debilitating short term and long term side effects. The short term side effects a meth user can experience include increased energy, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, impaired motor function, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, increased body temperature, tremors, dry mouth, convulsions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, paranoia, and seizures. When a meth user becomes an addict and continues to abuse meth, many worse and life-threatening long term side effects result from the usage. A long term meth addict can experience extreme weight loss, severe dental problems known as meth mouth, impaired motor function, intense itching, skin sores and lesions from scratching, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, violent behavior, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, kidney damage, liver damage, brain damage, lung damage, weakened immune system, homicidal or suicidal thoughts, high blood pressure, high body temperature, rapid aging, strokes, and death (“Methamphetamine” “Crystal Meth”). These many side effects are the explanation as to how destructive the drug can be to the human body.

When a pregnant woman abuses meth, she is not only destroying her body, but also harming the life of her unborn child. Pregnant addicts may face bleeding, the placenta breaking away from the wall of the uterus, miscarriage, and premature delivery. When the pregnant addict gives birth, the baby may experience several harmful problems as a result of his or her mother’s abuse. The baby may be born with physical and mental defects including stunted growth, cleft palettes, brain conditions, heart conditions, anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, and attention problems (“The Effects of Meth: What Does Meth Do to Your Body”).

There are several terms that can describe aspects of a meth addiction. A meth addict can experience a stage of tweaking as well as a problem with crank bugs and meth mouth. When meth causes a release of adrenaline, the addict becomes extremely anxious, wakened, and hyperactive and obsessive in their behavior. When a person is in this state, they may begin to believe that there are bugs crawling on their body due to tingling sensations experienced at nerve endings. This hallucination is known as crank bugs. When the addict experiences crank bugs, the person may begin to pick at their skin and try to remove the crank bugs from their body. This obsessive scratching can cause sores and lesions to appear on the body. Because meth can destroy blood vessels, tissues, and circulation, it is very difficult for the body to heal the sores, resulting in open wounds and and increased possibility for infection. Meth also causes extreme dental problems including tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. The corrosive chemicals involved in meth are known to cause the severe dental problems. The lack of blood supply to the body also results in the decay of oral tissues. This also causes the salivary glands to dry out, resulting in the acids in the mouth to eat away at the enamel of the teeth, causing cavities and decay. Meth mouth is characterized by yellowing, stained, blackened, rotting, and broken teeth. When the teeth of an addict get to this point of destruction, they are mostly unable to be saved and result in tooth loss (“How Meth Destroys The Body”). These harmful aspects of a meth addiction show how meth severely impacts the brain and the health of the body.

Once a person starts to abuse meth it becomes increasingly difficult for him or her to quit the highly addictive drug.

The withdrawal symptoms an addict may face after meth can make it extremely difficult for the person to avoid the drug with the idea that the symptoms of withdrawal will end. The withdrawal symptoms an addict can experience include fatigue, increased appetite, hallucinations, agitation, paranoia, insomnia, impaired motor function, loss of motivation, red eyes, itchy eyes, and suicidal thoughts (“Meth Withdrawal and Detox”). Addicts can undergo therapy and counseling to help them deal with and understand their addiction. This can also help them manage their behavior and addiction to the drug and help prevent them from relapsing. Several organizations and rehabilitation centers exist to help meth addicts manage their addiction and help provide them with food and shelter as well. Crystal meth does not have specifically designed medicine to treat addiction, but there are a few select medications that provide hope to meth users and the future of the addiction. Ibudilast is a medication that prevents the activation of glial cells in the central nervous system which is what meth targets. This may allow for a decreased drug dependence and addiction. MH6 is another medication that exists to help prevent an increase in body temperature and hyperactivity which are common side effects of meth use. This medication prevents these side effects from reaching the

body (“Crystal Meth”). However, overcoming a meth addiction can take several months and even years and some people may struggle with relapse along the way.