Killer Meth on the Rise

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

WATCH – BLAME IT ON WALTER WHITE –  

May 24, 2021 – This is “the high pure form” that’s meant to be smoked. The other popular form is a white odorless and bitter-tasting crystalline powder that can dissolve easily in water or alcohol.” We’re seeing hundreds of pounds of that coming through the laboratory, and that’s one of the areas where we cooperate with other agencies like the DEA,” says Miller.Peter Stout is the President & CEO of Houston Forensic Science Center. He says the number of cases that they’re getting has not changed that much, but its makeup has changed a lot… “In the last three years we have seen methamphetamine, go from the third most common drug to, by far the most common drug last year, 42% of materials, had methamphetamine,” says Peter Stout, President & CEO of Houston Forensic Science Center.  Meth is a stimulant, it is consumed primarily by smoking like you would crack cocaine. It then stimulates the body. It raises the heart rate, the respiration and it increases your blood pressure. “Now the reason why people consume methamphetamine is what it does in your brain is going to release large amounts of dopamine. The feel really good chemicals that are in your brain but because it’s so pure, it’s releasing such large quantities at this dopamine that without methamphetamine, you’ll never feel that good again,” says Miller.

If the results of addiction aren’t bad enough, the stress on the body can kill you. “On the one hand, you can suffer strokes and heart attacks from smoking these strong potent stimulants like meth, but you can also have the long term psychological effects, where you can never reach the high that you had smoking meth and so you now are struggling, putting everything you have into getting that high again,” says Miller.  “I’ll tell you, I don’t get it. I do not understand it, I’m looking at people like, why would you do that to yourself, can you see what you look like, you know, can you see your skin can you see your teeth. Can you see, you know, your mental state how you deal with other people? So when you talk about that ‘high’ – what is it?” Yami asks. “So, one of the things you can compare it to is what we call a runner’s high. People who do long-distance running or strenuous exercise, you hit that wall, right, and you’re like, my body is telling me I need to stop, you know, this hurts, but if you keep pushing through that you reach that runner’s high. That’s where your body is actually releasing chemicals – hormones in your body that allow you to numb that pain, and it makes you feel good so that you can actually push through and continue,” says Miller. A dangerous first-time high feeling that meth addicts keep chasing in vain.

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