Q. What is Meth?
A. Methamphetamine (or Meth for short) is an addictive stimulant that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. The effects of Meth can last from 6 to 24 hours. Users may become addicted quickly, and use it more often and in larger doses. For more information go to WHAT IS METH?

Q. What does Meth look like?
A. Meth is a crystal-like powdered substance that sometimes comes in large rock-like chunks. When the powder flakes off the rock, the shards look like glass, which is another nickname for Meth. Meth is usually white or slightly yellow, depending on how pure it is.

Q. What are the street names/slang terms for Meth?
A. Chalk, Crank, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Fire, Glass, Meth, Tweek, White Cross, Tina.

Q. What are the physical effects of Meth?
A. Methamphetamine releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time, Methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's Disease, a severe movement disorder.

Meth causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, which can cause strokes. Other effects of Meth include respiratory problems, irregular heartbeat and extreme anorexia.

Q. What are some common outward signs that someone is using Meth?
A. A Meth user may exhibit some or all of the following symptoms and behaviors and may have some or all of the listed paraphernalia:

Physical Symptoms:

• Weight loss
• Abnormal sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Nasal problems or nosebleeds
• Sores that do not heal
• Dilated pupils
• Burns on lips or fingers
• Track marks on arms

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Withdrawal from family and friends
• Change in friends
• Disinterest in previously enjoyed activities
• Increased activity
• Long periods of sleeplessness (24-120 hours)
• Long periods of sleep (24-48 hours)
• Incessant talking
• Irritability
• Twitching and shaking
• Itching
• Decreased appetite
• Erratic attention span
• Repetitious behavior, such as picking at skin, pulling out hair, compulsively cleaning, grooming or disassembling and assembling objects
• Aggression or violent behavior
• False sense of confidence and power
• Convulsions
• Carelessness about appearance
• Deceit or secretiveness

Mental Symptoms:

• Paranoia
• Anxiousness
• Nervousness
• Agitation
• Extreme moodiness
• Severe depression
• Hallucinations
• Delusions of parasites or insects crawling under the skin.

Paraphernalia:

• Rolled up paper money or short straws
• Pieces of glass/mirrors
• Razor blades
• Burned spoons
• Surgical tubing
• Syringes/needles

Q. What are the long-term effects of Meth use?
A. Meth is addictive, and users can develop a tolerance quickly, needing larger amounts to get high. In some cases, users forego food and sleep and take more Meth every few hours for days, "binging" until they run out of the drug or become too disorganized to continue using. Chronic use can cause paranoia, hallucinations, repetitive behavior (such as compulsively cleaning, grooming or disassembling and assembling objects), and delusions of parasites or insects crawling under the skin. Users can obsessively scratch their skin to get rid of these imagined insects. Long-term use, high dosages, or both can bring on full-blown toxic psychosis. This violent, aggressive behavior is usually coupled with extreme paranoia. Meth can also cause strokes and death.

Q. What are the risks of using METHAMPHETAMINE during pregnancy?
A. Women who are pregnant, considering pregnancy, or breast feeding should never use Methamphetamine. In addition to the problems normally associated with the drug, use during pregnancy can cause premature labor, separation of the placenta, and other problems.

Babies born to mothers who use Methamphetamine during pregnancy often experience problems that follow them for many years. They often have stunted growth, tremors, poor feeding habits, disturbed sleep patterns, and poor muscle tone. They also show elevated heart rates, rapid breathing, and an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.