Taking a Stand

There are numerous programs and support groups that have dedicated time and money to help spread awareness of the dangers of Crystal Meth and to help those who suffer from addiction. One of these organizations is called the Montana Meth Project.

The Montana Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at significantly reducing first-time meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach.

So why Montana?
In 2005 Montana ranked #5 in the nation for Meth abuse
50% of inmates were incarcerated for Meth
50% of foster-care admissions were Meth-related

Between 2005 and 2007 the Montana Meth Project produced:
45,000 TV ads
35,000 radio ads
10,000 print impressions
1,000 billboards

As of April 2008:
Montana ranks #39 in the nation for Meth abuse
Teen Meth use has declined by 45%
Adult Meth use has declined by 72%
62% decrease in Meth-related crime

Montana State Attorney General Mike McGrath said, "The Meth Project is very simply changing the nature of crime control in Montana. As of 2005, the Montana criminal justice system was overwhelmed by the consequences of Meth. If we are able to continue to make the kind of progress we have seen in the past two years, methamphetamine will have changed from a crisis to a manageable problem."

Results in Montana have proven the effectiveness of the Meth Project's prevention campaign and other states have begun to adopt the practices.

At the core of the Meth Project's effort is research-validated, high-impact advertising that graphically communicates the risks of Meth use.

Brendan Work, in a Student Editorial for Hellgate Lance said, "Any Montana TV-watcher worth his salt knows when the Montana Meth Project has struck. 'Those Meth ads,' as they're called, are scary, blunt, and downright remarkable. You need to scare the hell out of us. We don't respond to orders. We don't respond to threats. But we respond to our senses."

Here are some of the Montana Meth Advertisements. Like the website stated, these ads are aimed at bluntly showing the effects that Meth use has on people. The ads are very graphic and definitely strike the viewers

So what do you think? How do these ads affect you? Would viewing these ads help you to say no when the opportunity arose for you to try Meth?

To view other poster ads, video ads, etc., and learn more about the Montana Meth Project visit montanameth.org

National prevention campaigns are also in full swing. Learn about the Office of Nation Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) efforts to inform citizens about Crystal Meth at methresources.gov

Rehab, Treatment, and Recovery

Several treatment providers describe Methamphetamine abusers as "the hardest to treat" of all drug users.

The first step for a person to end an addiction to Crystal Meth is to acknowledge that he has a problem. This may be difficult because it might mean confronting family members and friends and telling them the truth. After confiding in someone who cares, the user must submit to rehabilitation. It is important for the user to seek help from those with professional experience because of meth's highly addictive nature. It is near impossible for a user to quit on their own.

Stop Meth Addiction provides a lot of information about rehab, treatment, and recovery. The site said that users going through rehab are provided with the knowledge on how to change their lives and how to live comfortably without meth. Research studies show that residential meth rehab programs of at least three months in duration have the best success rates.

Detox from meth is the first step which takes approximately four to six weeks. Those in recovery often report physical cravings for up to a year. Users also deal with a strong psychological addiction, triggered by common sights, conversations, and thoughts, which if not kept under control can lead to quick relapse when accompanied by recurring physical cravings.

At this point in time, the most effective type of intervention and treatment for meth addiction is Cognitive Behavioral. This approach is designed to help modify the patients' thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life stressors.


There are many websites and programs that are dedicated to helping those who suffer from meth addictions. Some of these include:

Meth Rehab

Methamphetamine Treatment

Support Systems Homes

Stages of Meth Bingeing and Tweaking

Meth Rehab Center discusses the seven steps of a Crystal Meth binge:

There are 7 stages in the cycle of crystal meth bingeing:
1. Initial Rush
After smoking or injecting methamphetamine, crystal meth users experience increased heartbeat, metabolism, and blood pressure.

2. The Crystal Meth High
Meth often makes a user feel more intelligent and confident, and they may become more aggressive and argumentative than usual.

3. The Crystal Meth Binge
As the end of the meth high approaches, the user seeks to continue the high by smoking or injecting more methamphetamine. However, the euphoric rush is diminished each time after the initial dose, as tolerance is experienced immediately. A binge meth user will continue to use crystal meth over a 3 to 15 day period, until no rush or high is experienced, and become mentally and physically hyperactive, avoiding sleep.

4. Crystal Meth Tweaking
Toward the end of the crystal meth binge, the meth user experiences a crash with feelings of sadness and emptiness. This state is called “tweaking”. While tweaking, crystal meth users may take alcohol or heroin, to relieve the dismal feelings. Meth tweaking can produce extremely unpredictable, violent behavior, hallucinations and paranoia.

5. The Crystal Meth Crash
A crystal meth binge user eventually crashes when their body’s supply of epinephrine is depleted. They require immense amounts of sleep to replenish the body, often over 1 to 3 days.

6. Return to Normal
After crashing and replenishing the body, a crystal meth user returns to normal. However, the user’s condition will be somewhat deteriorated from what it was before using methamphetamine.

7. Withdrawal
Withdrawal from methamphetamine often sneaks up on a crystal meth user – one to three months may pass after using meth before withdrawal symptoms are recognized.
There are no acute, immediate symptoms of physical distress. However, the crystal meth user in withdrawal will slowly become depressed and unable to feel pleasure, lacking energy. Craving for methamphetamine can hit suddenly, and combined with the feelings of depression may lead to suicide.

Tweaking (stage 4) is the most dangerous stage of bingeing because of the harm it poses to others including law enforcement officers, family members, and other individuals near the abuser.


Stop Drugs.org provides several safety precautions to use while approaching someone who is high on meth.
1. Keep at 7-10 ft. distance. Coming too close can be perceived as threatening.

2. Do not shine bright lights at him. The tweaker is already paranoid and if blinded by a bright light he is likely to run or become violent.

3. Slow your speech and lower the pitch of your voice. A tweaker already hears sounds at a fast pace and in a high pitch.

4. Slow your movements. This will decrease the odds that the tweaker will misinterpret your physical actions.

5. Keep your hands visible. If you place your hands where the tweaker cannot see them, he might feel threatened and could become violent.

6. Keep the tweaker talking. A tweaker who falls silent can be extremely dangerous. Silent often means that his paranoid thoughts have taken over reality, and anyone present can become part of the tweaker's paranoid delusions.

Violent behavior

Crystal Meth use has been known to lead to violent behavior among users of all ages. Hallucinations caused by the drug can make the user see things that are not really there. It is not uncommon for people high on meth to complain about bugs under their skin which leads to excessive scratching and picking at the skin.



Violence causes stress of various relationships and puts other people in danger.

Here are a few articles I found related to the devastating effects that crystal meth has on families:

Crystal meth: coming to a town near you

Son cooked crystal meth at parent's home

Dad found guilty of raping daughter

Grandmother: State fails to protect baby

Domestic Violence and Crystal Meth Users

Meth Production

Crystal Meth is said to be the post popular illicit drug in America today. One of the reasons for its popularity is its ease of access. Meth can be produced in a home-based lab by mixing about 15 different ingredients.

Lawsuitsearch.com provides a lot of information on the subject of meth production. It said that the primary ingredient of crystal meth is pseudo ephedrine which can be purchased over the counter at a local convenient store. Pseudo ephedrine is a remedy for the common cold. Drug makers mix this with red phosphorous, iodine and ammonia, paint thinner, ether, drain cleaner and the lithium from batteries. Many of these ingredients are dangerous and can cause explosions and fires.



I found a list of chemicals needed and equipment needed on streetdrugs.org

Common Chemicals Used to Make Methamphetamine:
Alcohol (Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol), Toluene (brake cleaner), Ether (engine starter), Sulfuric Acid (drain cleaner), Red Phosphorus (matches/road flares), Salt (table/rock), Iodine (teat dip or flakes/crystal), Lithium (batteries), Trichloroethane (gun scrubber), MSM (cutting agent), Sodium Metal, Methanol/Alcohol (gasoline additives), Muriatic Acid, Anhydrous Ammonia (farm fertilizer), Sodium Hydroxide (lye), Pseudoephedrine (cold tablets), Ephedrine (cold tablets), Acetone, Cat Litter

Typical Equipment Used to Make Methamphetamine:
Pyrex or Corning dishes (glass), Jugs/bottles, Paper towels, coffee filters, thermometer, cheesecloth, funnels, blenders, rubber tubing/gloves, pails/buckets, gas cans, tape/clamps, internet documents/notes, "How to Make Methamphetamine" books, Aluminum foil, Propane cylinders (20-lb), Hotplates, plastic storage containers/ice chests, measuring cups, towels/bed sheets, laboratory beakers/glassware

It has been reported that about $150.00 of materials can generate around $10,000.00 of Crystal Methamphetamine.

Effects on the Body

Crystal Meth has both physical and psychological effects on the body with short and/or long term consequences on health.

Stop Meth Addiction made a list of possible effects that meth can have on an individual.

Short Term:
Increased attention
Decreased fatigue
Increased activity
Decreased appetite
Euphoria and rush
Increased respiration
Hyperthermia

Long Term:
Dependence
Addiction psychosis
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Mood disturbances
Repetitive motor activity
Stroke
Weight loss



Meth use can also lead to cardiovascular problems which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Crystal Meth, Help Website on Crystal Meth says that "Methamphetamine use causes increased heart rate and blood pressure. These include rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and irreversible, stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. Chronic methamphetamine abuse can result in inflammation of the heart lining. Methamphetamine can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems including heart attacks, cardiovascular collapse and death."

Questions?

What is meth?
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America says that crystal Meth is a very pure, smokeable form of methamphetamine. It is a powerful and extremely addictive man-made stimulant. Its use can lead to severe physiological and psychological dependence.

What are some nicknames for crystal meth?
jib, crank, meth, crystal, ice, speed, chalk, glass

How is meth used?
Usually crystal meth is smoked in glass pipes, similar to how crack cocaine is used. It may be injected (either dry or dissolved in water), snorted, swallowed, or inserted into the anus or urethra.



Who uses crystal meth?
The National Drug Intelligence Center stated that crystal methamphetamine is used by individuals of all ages and is increasingly gaining in popularity as a club drug. It is difficult to determine how many individuals in the United States use crystal methamphetamine because most illicit drug use surveys do not distinguish between crystal methamphetamine and powdered methamphetamine. Those surveys that do draw such a distinction reveal that use of crystal methamphetamine is prevalent. According to the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Survey, nearly 5 percent of high school seniors in the United States used crystal methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime and 3 percent used the drug in the past year.

What are some physical signs that someone is using meth?
-Inability to sleep
-Increased sensitivity to noise
-Nervous physical activity, like scratching
-Irritability, dizziness, or confusion
-Extreme anorexia
-Tremors or even convulsions
-Violent behavior
-Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of stroke
-Presence of inhaling paraphernalia, such as razor blades, mirrors, and straws
-Presence of injecting paraphernalia, such as syringes, heated spoons, or surgical tubing

Where is crystal meth produced?
Crystal meth is made in illegal labs by chemically altering over-the-counter drugs.


What is a Tweaker?
The most dangerous stage of methamphetamine abuse occurs when an abuser has not slept in 3-15 days and is irritable and paranoid. This behavior is referred to as "tweaking," and the user is known as the "tweaker."

Are there any diseases related to meth use?
Crystal meth users who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses.

What is the legal standing on meth?
Methamphetamine is illegal in all states and highly dangerous.

How long does it take to become addicted to meth?
Just once.

What is Crystal Meth?

The National Geographic produced a documentary on Crystal Meth. Lisa Ling takes an inside look into the meth epidemic...


To purchase the full copy of the documentary visit The National Geographic's online store


According to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Crystal Meth is defined as "a very pure, smokeable form of methamphetamine. It is a powerful and extremely addictive man-made stimulant. Its use can lead to severe physiological and psychological dependence." It can be taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking. Crystal Meth is a highly addictive stimulant with euphoric effects.

Methamphetamine is available with a prescription for obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy, but crystal meth is a street drug, made in illegal labs by chemically altering over-the-counter drugs (about.com). Meth use has both short and long-term effects on the body some of which take affect immediatly.

The Center for Substance Abuse Research says methamphetamine was derived from amphetamine in Japan in 1919. Both of these chemicals were originally used in nasal decongestants and in bronchial inhalers. Methamphetamine has also been used in the treatment of obesity. It first came to the United States in the 1930's. Use of the drug surged in the 1950's and 1960's, when users began injecting more frequently. The drug was outlawed as a part of the U.S. Drug Abuse and Regulation Control Act of 1970. Production and trafficking soared again in the 1990's in relation to organized crime in the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, currently, the most effective treatments are behavioral. Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining abstinence, have also been shown to be effective. There are no medications at this time approved to treat methamphetamine addiction; however, this is an active area of research for NIDA.

Crystal Meth Statistics

Over 1.4 million Americans tried Meth in 2006
Over 12.3 million Americans age 12 and older have tried Meth since 2003
Meth use is greatest amond 35-45 year olds
The biggest increase in treatment is among 18-25 year olds
Meth treatment admission has outpaced cocaine and herion in 14 US states
Meth currently sells for $12,000 to $16,000 per pound at he wholesale level