Teens and Meth

Drug abuse has been around since the first person realized that smoking, snorting, or ingesting chemicals can give you a “high” feeling. The popularity of different drugs has changed over the years, but the drug abuse has remained. While in the past American youth partook in marijuana use, cocaine, and LSD, today’s teens have moved on to a new, extremely dangerous drug known as meth. Unlike other substances, the effects of meth drug abuse can be seen far before any of these other drugs and normal hard working people will begin to look as though they have aged 30 years in a matter of months. Here is some more information about meth that parents and teens can use to educate themselves on this dangerous.

1. Meth stands for methamphetamine. This class of drug enters the brain and causes a large release of the chemical dopamine. The release of dopamine by the brain triggers activity in the pleasure and reward centers causing an intense euphoria, which is why people choose to do the drug in the first place. Because of this intense euphoria that users feel, addiction is very possible which will eventually lead to drug abuse.

2. There are several routes that can be taken when it comes to the use of meth. The most common way to take the drug is by crushing it into a powder and snorting it through the nostrils. The chemicals are then absorbed through the mucous membranes and are able to quickly enter the bloodstream. When drug abuse begins, snorting does not provide the desired effect as well as other methods, and users begin changing how they use meth. It can be vaporized and inhaled through a glass pipe, or when there is serious drug abuse going on, users begin to inject the drug directly into their bloodstream using a syringe.

3. The drug abuse could be occurring right inside of your home. What is especially frightening about meth is that it can be synthesized using household products and over the counter cough and cold medicines. The only warning sign that meth is being created indoors is that a strong smell comes along with it. If there is an unrecognizable (usually foul) odor coming from your home then it is likely that your teen is partaking in drug abuse.

Families and teenagers are being ravaged by meth and it is up to the parents and the schools to educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. There have been too many cases of bright, focused young people that have had their lives ruined by this drug. Even professionals with spouses and children have succumbed to the allure of methamphetamines and have spiraled out of control. There have been some measures taken to prevent the creation of this drug, such as disallowing an individual from purchasing multiple bottles or boxes of cough and cold medicine, but that is not going to be enough.

Drugs Abuse

Just like with most other drugs, meth can be used in several different ways. For those of you that are unaware, many citizens of the United States have been partaking in drug abuse using this particular drug, and meth is rapidly creeping to more and more cities, towns, and neighborhoods. This type of drug abuse can affect anyone, it does not matter which area of the country you are in, your economic standing, your gender, and your race does not come into play either. Since meth use is reaching epidemic proportions, it is important that people know more about the drug abuse going on in their areas. For general information purposes, below are the different ways that meth can be administered to get a high feeling.

1. Snorting – Drug abuse is most commonly practiced by crushing meth into a powder and snorting it into a nostril. Usually a straw or a rolled up dollar bill is used to do this. The powder goes into the nostril and is absorbed by mucous membranes, allowing it to pass into the bloodstream. This allows for fast and efficient drug abuse.

2. Smoking – Users smoke meth by vaporizing the drug inside of a glass pipe or tube. The smoke that results from this action is then inhaled into the lungs and absorbed that way. Many believe that extended drug abuse requires addicts to smoke instead of snort the drug, but there is no evidence that suggests that this is actually true. However, extended drug abuse has been known to cause lung damage to the meth user.

3. Injection – Long time drug abuse can force addicts to go a step further and inject meth right into their bloodstream. The process is straightforward, the drug is cut with a water soluble agent and then a syringe is used to inject it into a vein. This is very risky though, since infection runs rampant in these situations.

4. Suppositories – This is a rather extreme form of drug abuse. Some users actually take suppositories and insert them into their anus so that the effects of the substance last longer. Many also believe that this method also increases sexual stimulation and pleasure, but not much is known about the use of these types of anal suppositories.

Having some familiarity with how meth is used can help you to identify whether somebody in your family has been doing this dangerous drug. If you happen to find rolled up dollar bills, glass pipes, or syringes lying around the house, it is not definite that methamphetamine is being used, but it is likely that there is drug use occurring in your home. Opening up the lines of dialogue about drugs and how harmful they can be to the human body and loved ones is a great first step in preventing children from getting their hands on this substance, but continual awareness and diligence is necessary to keep illegal drugs out of your children’s hands.