Methamphetamine History

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Caroline Anna Joy Baden SWK-1105-G1C Carin Burr 30 March 2014 History of Crystal Methamphetamines While there are a large variety of illegal drugs out on the streets currently, one of the most well-known is methamphetamine. Most people today know of the drug, but do not understand how it came into existence. Knowing the history is important, because it can help one to better grasp how it came to be and why so many people today use the drug. Methamphetamine is a stimulant and it is extremely addictive and very powerful. Unfortunately, there are many people in various countries throughout the world that are addicted to this highly harmful drug. It is awfully difficult to recover from a methamphetamine addiction, but it is not impossible if one has the right resources, help, and support group. Many individuals do not seek the help that they need, however, and the harmful addiction often times leads to an overdose, often resulting in death. In order to make a difference in our communities, or to simply be able to understand what an addict is going through, it is a very wise idea to know the effects and background of methamphetamine. Understanding the drug’s past and how it effects the individuals will help one to better understand what the user is going through. Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system, and it causes the user to be more active, more talkative, euphoric (high), and also causes the user to lose their appetite. Methamphetamine came into existence in the early 20th century from the drug called amphetamine. Its earliest uses were as a nasal decongestant and as a bronchial inhaler. Methamphetamine is different from amphetamine in the fact th... ... middle of paper ... ...he people who are doing the cooking must take extreme precautions, such as wearing special suits in order to protect themselves. “An estimated 4.7 million Americans (2.1% of the U.S. population) have tried MA at some time in their lives” (Anglin, Burke, Perrochet, Stamper, and Dawud-Noursi 137-141). 4.7 million is a huge number of people who have admitted to trying (or using) methamphetamine, and that is only in one country! That number is undoubtedly rising every single day. The general public need to be educated about this harmful drug, so that they will hopefully have a better idea of how to deal with it if they happen to come face-to-face with methamphetamine. The drug is a growing problem in our country, and many people will possibly either see someone who is suffering with an amphetamine addiction, see the drug being trafficked, or come in contact with it.

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