It comes in many forms and can be taken in different ways, but two facts never change about the drug methamphetamine: It's addictive and it can kill. One day back in May 2006, Abbie R.*, then a junior attending a private high school in San Diego, California, went to school. But this wasn't an ordinary day: For the previous five days, Abbie had been abusing methamphetamine, a dangerous and potentially lethal drug. She hadn't slept in more than 120 hours; she could barely keep her eyes open. [*Abbie asked that her last name not be printed to protect her privacy.] "I remember turning to the kid sitting next to me and mumbling, 'I'm so tired,'" Abbie tells Choices. "The next thing I knew, I woke up in the emergency room at a hospital with
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Street methamphetamine can come in the form of a powder (usually white or yellowish) or pill (either tablets or capsules). It has many names, as well, including "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Crystal meth, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, is the crystal form of the drug; it looks like little chunks of ice or rock candy. It is often referred to as "ice," "crystal," "crank," or "glass." How is the drug taken? Methamphetamine can be snorted, smoked, swallowed, or injected. All the various forms of ingesting the drug are extremely dangerous--and potentially deadly. What are the health risks? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine can keep you awake, make you hyperactive and aggressive, cause a loss of appetite, and make you feel confused. The drug can also cause even more serious health problems, such as hypothermia, convulsions, anorexia, loss of teeth, paranoia, hallucinations, and an increase in blood pressure. It gets worse: Meth can damage blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to a stroke, and the drug can cause problems for the heart, ranging from a rapid heart rate to an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack, which can kill you.
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Street methamphetamine can come in the form of a powder (usually white or yellowish) or pill (either tablets or capsules). It has many names, as well, including "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Crystal meth, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, is the crystal form of the drug; it looks like little chunks of ice or rock candy. It is often referred to as "ice," "crystal," "crank," or "glass." How is the drug taken? Methamphetamine can be snorted, smoked, swallowed, or injected. All the various forms of ingesting the drug are extremely dangerous--and potentially deadly. What are the health risks? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine can keep you awake, make you hyperactive and aggressive, cause a loss of appetite, and make you feel confused. The drug can also cause even more serious health problems, such as hypothermia, convulsions, anorexia, loss of teeth, paranoia, hallucinations, and an increase in blood pressure. It gets worse: Meth can damage blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to a stroke, and the drug can cause problems for the heart, ranging from a rapid heart rate to an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack, which can kill you.
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