Crystal Meth addiction and side effects

Methamphetamine is the drug of choice for treatment of attention deficit disorder. It can also be used for the treatment of obesity and for patients on amphetamines that can no longer tolerate the side effects of that drug.

Methamphetamine is however a very addictive drug and it is also been produced on the streets as crystal meth and strawberry meth.

Crystal meth, produced on the streets, is a more toxic form of pure meth and it has a blue color, glass like appearance.

In medicine, it comes as a prescription drug in the tablet form, Desoxyn. It is far more addictive than the powered meth, thus crystal meth addiction is the most prominent form of the meth addiction.

The crystals are heated in a class tube and smoked, or melted and injected into the veins.

Crystal meth activates the central nervous system and stimulates the production of two neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and dopamine.

At low doses, it boosts alertness and blocks hunger and fatigue.

At high doses it produces a "rush" feeling of euphoria that can last for more than twelve hours.

The long term effects of crystal meth can be immense, and can include the following:

* Deficiency of some of the bodies vital mineral and vitamins
* Liver, lungs and kidney damage
* Immune deficiency resulting in increased the likelihood of acquiring  diseases
* Anxiety and depression
* psychosis
* mood defects

Crystal meth addiction was rampant in the 1960's and early 1970's. The authorities managed to close down the black market production and thus this form of addiction faded.

It was not until the 1990's traces of this addiction became widespread again.  Today as law enforcement work towards eradicating the black market supply of crystal meth, they have upgraded this drug as a class A illegal substance and have since amended the punishment for those being caught with illegal supply of crystal meth to face at least seven years imprisonment.