What is methamphetamine abuse?
This drug, also known as “meth” usually appears as a white, bitter tasting, odorless powder. “Crystal meth” is the identical chemical compound, but in a crystalline form. A central nervous system stimulant, meth can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected. What effect does methamphetamine have on the user? Methamphetamines act on the brain’s “reward center,” releasing cascades of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin (the brain’s own pleasure-inducing chemicals). The immediate effect is a level of euphoria, based on the user’s size, weight and past drug-using history, as well as the quality of the drug. Because it offers a “straight shot” to the brain’s pleasure chemical storehouse, it is highly addictive. Users claim, in addition to the euphoria it creates, to feel increased alertness and focus, easing of the symptoms of fatigue, and dulling of the appetite.
