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Methamphetamine has become a vast problem in the United States and is growing in popularity in other areas of the world. Meth use has overtaken Cocaine use in the Midwest and accounts for more drug related deaths than Cocaine in the last three years. Oklahoma now has Meth as its drug of choice.
As far back as 1999, a whopping 9.4 million adults admitted to having tried Meth at least once. The fastest growing group of Meth users is in the 18-25 age range. It only takes one use of Meth to become addicted. Meth is an insidious drug and works by impersonating the chemicals produced in the brain for pleasure. Meth produces more of these chemicals to be released at one time and this is what causes the high or the rush that is experienced when a person first ingests Meth.
Once a person experiences this high they develop a need to feel it again and again and go in search of that first rush, which unfortunately will never be repeated.
But why do people first get involved in drug use, particularly meth?
That is a question that many families and friends of addicts ask.
It is a tough question to answer as it has to do more with a person's sense of self and their level of self respect than anything else and the root cause is often a need to feel better or different.
Meth does not cause any physical withdrawal symptoms but it is an addiction that is deeply rooted in the psyche, making it hard to break and there are often many relapses.
A Meth addict doesn't start out with the purpose of becoming an addict - but because of the stranglehold that the drug develops over the brain, treatment can be long and difficult. Meth addicts find themselves in a vicious cycle that has them taking the drug to alleviate pain they feel in their lives - which in turn becomes more painful because of the drug use and the cycle continues with the user having to seek out
Meth in order to feel "normal".
Treatment for Meth addiction has to begin with a detox program which lasts 4-6 weeks. During this time the addict will report strong cravings for the drug. Depending on the length of time an addict has been using, these cravings can last anything up to a year or more. Heavy use means the likelihood of a relapse is all too possible.
Treatment for Meth addiction will involve a lot of counseling and relearning of ways to find pleasure in their life that isn't related to taking drugs. Treatment may also involve a prescription for an anti depressant as the addict may sink into depression as the brain has lost the ability to experience pleasure from normal everyday occurrences.
Meth addiction and its treatment will need to involve help from professionals such as substance abuse advisors and doctors. Family and friends are also encouraged to become involved in the addicts treatment and recovery as they will need a lot of support to overcome meth addiction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kurt_LeRoy

Ensuring drug users get into drug treatment is more important than ever as this new method of making meth makes the drug more accessible.


Police and community groups who've been desperately trying to handle the meth problem by shutting down meth labs and getting users into meth treatment are afraid that the latest method of making methamphetamine, called 'shake and bake', will start a new wave of meth use and create a new generation of meth users. Their fears are justified: when you make a drug easier to get and less expensive, it can spread like wildfire - just like crack.

Shake and bake is all over the news. The 'shake' part of it refers to a small portable lab more or less in a bottle. It produces smaller amounts and requires fewer supplies than regular meth labs - which means there's less chance of someone getting caught buying the supplies. This method also allows the drug to be made without the tell-tale odor that often leads to meth lab busts, and meth makers can simply pick up their lab and run should it come to that, although they may catch on fire in the process.

With things like shake and bake around, it's more important than ever to ensure the people in your life don't get involved in drugs, and that those who are already involved get into drug treatment. Meth is probably the most physically and mentally damaging of all drugs and, in truth, if a person is living in a drug environment, there's no guarantee they won't take meth or any other drug.

If you want to get a look at what meth can do, check out facesofmeth.us. The photos on the site show the changes in people from the time they get their first mug shot to a second shot, months or years later (during which time they've been using meth). The changes can be drastic after just a few months, and after two or three years, you could literally have trouble recognizing your own son or daughter. And even if they stop taking the drug, there's a good chance they'll never look the same again or fully recover their health.

There are a lot of people in prison because of drugs. Some would be better off in drug treatment. But anyone who sees what meth can do would no doubt feel that those who are in prison because they made or sold meth are probably in the right place. Let's just hope they also get a complete drug rehab program so they're less likely to get involved in drugs when they get out of prison, and less likely to continue to ruin the lives of others.

Meth labs are no longer restricted to the rural areas of America. They have now infiltrated suburbia. Meth cooks are capitalizing on the kind and harmless "image" suburbs provide and using them as a means of screening their dangerous and illegal operations.

Imagine an environmental catastrophe waiting to materialize in your rental property - a cooking procedure utilizing corrosive and flammable elements, that at some phases produces the same gas used in concentration camps, producing an odorous reaction of chemicals and toxic fumes, brewed by people who normally don't have chemistry degrees...and you have the typical meth lab.

The meth lab is more dangerous than any legal laboratory or chemical manufacturing plant. Meth labs have been defined as an "explosion waiting to happen." In fact, 25%-30% of all labs exposed in the U.S. are detected as a result of fire or explosion. A clandestine (secret) meth lab will likely have hazardous, flammable chemicals stashed away in every type of container imaginable--in closets, under stairways, under tables or even out in the open. Little of the glassware and equipment will be acceptable laboratory materials. Most will be improvised using casserole dishes, CorningWare, crock pots, etc.; Parts may be cracked and have jagged edges, sometimes covered with duct tape. Heaters, ovens or power strips could have frayed or exposed wires. Also, the gases produced by the operation are highly flammable, made worse by the fact that labs are commonly concealed in a closed off room or a basement. A pilot light on your gas water heater could ignite the entire property. More importantly, a majority of the people operating these suburban meth labs don't own the property, they rent.

The After Effects of a Meth Lab on Your Property
There's little known about the health effects of long-term exposure to contaminants left behind by previous methamphetamine labs. Property owners are advised to exercise extreme caution and use the safest possible cleaning practices in dealing with a former meth lab property. There are company's that specialize in this type of clean up who will even provide a certificate of decontamination at conclusion of the cleanup process.
When drug users, dealers, or manufacturers live in or operate out of rental properties, neighborhoods suffer - and landlords pay a steep price. If the unit has been used as a meth fabricating lab, the decontamination cost alone is high, averaging $10,000-$15,000 for a 1200-square-foot home.

After a lab has been shut down, your property typically still is contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Residues of methamphetamine and other chemicals left over at a former meth lab are a concern for people who later occupy the property. For this reason, local health departments may get involved and thoroughly evaluate the property for hazards before permitting it to be re-inhabited, particularly if by children. Long and short term health effects include liver and kidney damage, neurological problems and increased cancer risks, even for people residing in former lab sites.

When a meth lab is detected in a multiple-unit dwelling, neighbors might be worried about their exposure to hazardous chemicals while the lab was still operational. Neighbors danger for exposure is generally very low, but it's important to address any nearby residents concerns.

But there are also other profound costs that a landlord can incur as a consequence of meth activity on the premises. How tenants' meth use impacts rental properties and landlords:

• Methamphetamine attracts criminal activity - gang-related activities such as vandalism and violence
• Property values decline, especially once the activity drives the neighborhood to get a bad reputation
• Property damage results from tenant misuse and neglect, from retaliation, from fire, or from police busts
• Civil penalties could be imposed, including the forced temporary closure or even seizure of the property
• Rental income is forfeited during the eviction and repair periods
• Good renters may move out because of meth-related troubles, resulting in lost rental income
• Feelings of bitterness and anger damage relationships between neighbors and property managers
• Being forced to address with dangerous and threatening tenants generates fear and frustration

Signs of meth activity at a rental property:
Landlords might observe behavior in renters that suggests potential meth or other drug use and, possibly, drug dealing:

• Failure to pay rent or utility bills
• Failure to keep the house in good condition

A combination of the indicators below may be significant.
Vehicle traffic and automobiles

• Expensive vehicles that seem out of place for the area
• Regular car switching, particularly at unusual hours:
• people arrive in one car and leave in another
• Vehicles stopping for short stays - fewer than 20 minutes
• Regular late-night deliveries
• Considerable increase in vehicular traffic
• Suspicious vehicles: clean license plates on a dirty car, damage consistent with the car being a stolen vehicle

Foot traffic

• People parking away from the premises and walking in
• Ungroomed, disoriented visitors or neighbors
• People taking in tools, electronics, or other items that might be used to sell or trade for drugs

Change in property conditions

• Collections of garbage or junk
• Deterioration of the premises or yard
• Disassembling of vehicles or machinery (frequently the high gives meth users the energy to begin projects, but they lack the ability to focus enough to complete them)

Residents' appearance and behavior

• Ungroomed, dirty appearance
• Children show signs of abuse or disregard
• Pets are uncared-for, neglected
• Occupant is awake for days at a time
• Occupant sleeps for days at a time
• There's frequent partying in the dwelling
• There are a lot of young visitors, even when the residents do not have children in the same age group as the visitors

Surroundings

• Increased crime in the neighborhood, particularly crimes of opportunity like vehicle thefts and burglaries
• Other neighbors displaying strange behavior - hanging out at the drug house or defending the occupants, for instance

Steps you can take to prevent meth at your property:

• Show tenants that you are partnering with local law enforcement by displaying their decals
• Conduct background checks on renters. Check references, credit histories, and, if you get the required approval, criminal background
• Inspect your property on a regular basis
• Encourage tenants and others in the community to be mindful of suspicious individuals and activities
• Encourage nearby residents to alert you to any worries that they have

How can a meth lab be cleaned up?
Property owners are responsible for proper cleanup and costs. Owners who choose to clean buildings on their own ought to be aware that household building materials and furniture may absorb contaminants and, in some cases, emit toxic fumes. Private cleanup contractors can and should be hired to conduct safe meth lab testing and decontamination of any property known or suspected to have been a meth lab.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Abney

Crystal meth use is of growing concern nationwide as the latest statistics shows that more young people across the nation have becoming dependant on this drug. It once dominated the streets in the western states in the early 60's, has once again began to make its mark across the United States. It was isolated in Midwest but due to the fact that it is easy to manufacture, using readily accessible over the counter ingredients and its cheap value the market for meth is now nationwide.

It has, within a short period of time, became the most common drug of abused, second to cocaine.
There are many sources of information on crystal meth available online, in school libraries, social clubs, on the negative affects it has on the human mind and body. Like unsafe sex and other explicit behavior that should be avoided, meth use has still been domineering.


While they may have similar effects, crystal meth has more long lasting effects and far more toxic to the body than pure methamphetamines. Meth is used clinically for attention deficit disorder and obesity. Young girls are drawn more to meth because of its appetite suppression effects. The misuse of the drug and overdosing exposes them to that euphoric feeling that associates with meth use, and after a while they become "hooked". Yes, meth may help you lose weight and to keep you alert but due to its negative effects, it pays not to use the drug.

While some may argue that the information on crystal meth available to young people may be the contributing reason for the surge in meth use, others argue that it is important that young people know all the facts about meth, both positive and negative. There is adequate amount of information on crystal meth available in all media forms; however this information alone is not enough to curb this growing addiction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Hill