Meth labs are increasingly becoming a public safety hazard. Even months after a lab has been closed, chemical residue that has seeped into the carpet or wood can be dangerous. Agents and police must take special safety courses to handle meth situations because of the likelihood of explosions, invisible poison gases and other dangers. People who come in contact with the highly toxic chemicals used to make the drug can become sick and prolonged exposure can lead to cancer.

Effects on the Cardiovascular System Include: Increased Pulse Increased Blood Pressure Cardiac Arrhythmia Stroke

Patterns of Abuse Methamphetamine abuse has three patterns: low intensity (does not involve psychological addition), binge, and high intensity. The binge and high-intensity abusers smoke or inject meth to achieve a faster and stronger high; the patterns of abuse differ in the frequency in which the drug is abused and stages within their cycles. The binge abuse cycle is made up of these stages: rush, high, binge, tweaking, crash, normal and withdrawal.

Rush (5-30 minutes) The abuser’s heartbeat races and metabolism, blood pressure, and pulse soar. Feelings of pleasure. High (4-16 hours) The abuser often feels aggressively smarter and becomes argumentative. Binge (3-15 days) The abuser maintains the high for as long as possible and becomes hyperactive, both mentally and physically. Tweaking The most dangerous stage of the cycle. A tweaker is an abuser who probably has not slept in 3-15 days and is irritable and paranoid. The tweaker craves more meth, but no dosage will help re-create the euphoric high, which causes frustration, and leads to unpredictability and potential for violence. Crash (1-3 days) The abuser does not pose a threat to anyone. He becomes almost lifeless and Sleeps. Normal (2-14 days) The abuser returns to a state that is slightly deteriorated from the normal state before the abuse. Withdrawal (30-90 days) No immediate symptoms are evident but the abuser first becomes depressed and then lethargic. The craving for meth hits and the abuser becomes suicidal. Taking meth at any time during withdrawal can stop the unpleasant feelings so, consequently, a high percentage of addicts in treatment return to abuse.

Other Long-term Effects Include: Insomnia Hyperactive Behavior Severe Depression Aggressiveness Stomach disorders Weight Loss Paranoid Psychosis Hallucinations Auditory and Visual

Office of National Drug Control Policy 1996 National Drug Control Strategy and Methamphetamine Strategy

The Five Goals for National Drug Control Strategy

1. Motivate America’s youth to reject illegal drugs and substance abuse.

2. Enhance the safety of American’s by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

3. Reduce health, welfare and crime costs resulting from illegal drug use.

4. Shield American’s air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat.

5. Break foreign and domestic sources of supply.

Printing and distribution funded by the Elks Drug Awareness Program, which is sponsored by the Elks National Foundation.