Methamphetamine: a Social Epidemic by Cassandra Lafferty

Introduction

  Methamphetamine It has destroyed many homes, and will destroy many more many. It tears family's apart, takes children from their families, and that's just the start. Made from common household items. It can be found in the poorest or richest of neighborhoods. Methamphetamine don’t care about your race, religions, sex, or even your dreams don’t worry just come with me. What is Methamphetamine, you ask? It is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system (National Institute of drug abuse). Also known as meth, chalk, ice, and crystal, among many other terms, it takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol(1). This drug has horrible effects on people, their families, and friends. This drug blinds you from seeing its effects. 

History

                     Methamphetamine began in early 1919 in Japan as a more powerful version of amphetamine. It was a crystal like substance that dissolved easily which made for easy injection. By World War II, both sides were using methamphetamine as a weapon to keep soldiers awake and alert. Japanese kamikaze pilots were given high doses before suicide missions (Drug-Free World). Once the war ended military supply stores opened to the Japanese public, and methamphetamine abuse made its first epidemic appearance. Easily available the abuse became widely spread, and by 1950 methamphetamine was prescribed for depression and dietary aids.

              In the 1970’s the United States wars on drugs started, and they made the drug illegal for “most uses” (Drug-Free World). Shortly after, American Motorcycle Gang gained controlled over most of the moving and making of the drug in the United States at the time. However, by the 1990’s, it didn’t take long before everyday Americans began to make their own meth from local kitchen ingredients, and with a few other easily accessible supplies. It became known as “the stove top drug” (Drug-Free World). Most of the time, users could be found in rural communities as they could not afford the more expensive cocaine. Around the early 2000’s in much of the West, methamphetamine use is the favored hard drug, surpassing crack, cocaine and heroin. It's still prescribed for some medical purposes. By 2010’s methamphetamines were coming back into the spotlight even strong then before Galveston, Texas was a main port for the incoming drugs the sheriff’s department was beginning to even come across a new methamphetamine known as strawberry according to Galveston county sheriff department.

Examples

As a young toddler of only eighteen months old, I had my very own first experience with methamphetamine. Although I don’t remember the encounter myself, I was reminded of the story many times throughout my life. My mother walked in on her then boyfriend, who was high and had me in a scalding hot tub pulling out my hair. She did nothing in fear I would get taken away, but it was only weeks later that again she was high. I got a third degree burn on my whole left side of my left leg. Again, she told no one. My grandfather found out about a month later and got full custody of me. That’s when the real problems started. My grandparents started to realize it wasn’t just my mother, but it was everyone around us. At that moment, they decided to move me out of the city away from everything and everybody.

              As a teen, my older cousin, Dessary, whom I looked up to, became a Meth addict. She would come and go, but only long enough to steal what she could from whomever she could.

We all loved her no matter how hard she would make it for us. She would come to my grandparent’s every time she was running from the cops, which seemed like every week. Seeing her and my mother like that over the years, I always vowed I would never even try the drug for fear of becoming addicted myself.

      Later in life as an adult, I once again faced the Meth epidemic. A “good” friend of mine began to act very distant. I knew something was going on, but I could not figure it out until one day when her world come crashing down, which happens with most Meth addicts. That morning I kept trying to call her to talk about things as we normally did everyone morning. However, this morning, in particular, I felt very worried after several attempts. I decided to go pay her a visit. When I pulled up to her house, I saw her children being put in a car by some stranger and my friend crying. I rushed up to the door holding my friend.  She was crying only to have her husband tell me what was going on. Child Protective Services were taking the children; she had tested positive for methamphetamine. I could not believe it! After all I had told her about my past. How could she do this to her children? I don’t think I could or would ever understand the thought process of an addict. She finally told us she had been using for a whole year. I felt betrayed and used beyond believe. I had known her since middle school. I would have never even thought that. Days later, she disappeared with her addict friends and gave up on her children and everyone who was ever a good friend to her. She would come back every now and then asking for help, and I was always there until recently. Now, three years later we have tried rehabilitation clinics, jail, letters, love, even tough love, and nothing seems to work. As a person who has seen and been around meth my whole life, I cannot be a friend and love someone who can’t even love themselves enough to give up on a horrible drug. Another side of meth is the addicts side Jasmine’s story started at age eleven coming from a troubled home with a parent whom was an addict. She began socializing with the wrong crowd shortly after she began drinking and smoking marijuana her friends knew about her background of her mother’s addict, but still tricked her at age thirteen to smoking methamphetamine. By age fourteen she was already addicted she admitted to saying that “the drug is my way to escape my own horror I called home.” After saying Jasmine’s addict start to spiral out of control her mother decided to get clean, but for Jasmine she was not impressed. At age fifteen she runway with her dealer whom began to prostitute her to supply both of their habits. Being so young she thought this man really loved her she had no idea what he was really doing to her mind, body, and soul.  By the age of sixteen Jasmine says she was smoking using about $200.00 dollars’ worth of meth every day and sometimes more in order to forget life and sleep with the men her boyfriend had set up to supply the habit for them both. Jasmine had gotten busted a few time for prostitute and stealing by sixteen, and her mother whom had relapsed had given up on her. She was in and out of juvenile hall and with no hope for her in sight one person decided to help her. A judge who seen potential in a young Jasmine decide that the seventeen year old needed to spend six months in rehab. Little did he know it would be the best thing to ever happen to Jasmine. She got clean and even began volunteering at the rehab and schools. After two years clean she become an active member of her society. Jasmine was later quote by saying “My secret to staying sober is that no one else can make you stay sober. You have to be ready, and you have to want it.” (drugfree.org)

Solutions

  Though many believed making methamphetamine illegal was the workable solution it was definitely, making meth illegal only seem to make the epidemic worse. As people knows it is human nature if someone tells you not to do something and makes you want to do it more. Making Meth illegal did nothing, but make the war on drugs go into full throttle. This only seemed too allowed for drug dealers to make more money under the table. Which in turn meant these dealer were not having to pay taxes on this money they were making, and less was going into the economy. This also meant that more people were and still are going to jail daily for use, and dealer of this drug. Which again in turn meant more money for use law-abiding citizens to pay in taxes to house these offenders. In my option, this is not a workable solution, but actually more of a problem. The government and pharmaceutical company also tried another solution they thought would be workable. This solution is medication to stimulate a high such as methamphetamine but a legal version. Basically a legal methamphetamine controlled by the government and food and drug administration also known as the (F.D.A) known as Suboxone.   In 2002, the FDA approved the use of the unique opioid buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone) for the treatment of opioid addiction in the U.S. Buprenorphine has numerous advantages over methadone and naltrexone. As a medication-assisted treatment, it suppresses withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids, does not cause euphoria in the opioid-dependent patient, and it blocks the effects of the other (problem) opioids for at least 24 hours (dea.gov). Basically it is government drug dealing at its finest, this has not curved any drug use in the United States. A workable solution in my option, is to allow facility for drug use only where users  may go to be provide with fresh equipment needed to use, room to sleep off drug use if needed, and train people to speak to if change is wanted. This will allow for though who would like to change an opportunity to do so. It would also lead to less overdoses or people being left alone to die by friend whom do not want to get in trouble. This can allowed for the facility to wing users off in a safe and cared for environment. It would keep drugs off the streets in out of the hands of are children.   

Camus and absurdity

Though many may believe Methamphetamine is absurdity at its finest the epidemic that has followed the use is this drug is anything but absurd. Camus emphasize on many occasion that everyone deserves a second chance, much like addicts. Camus whom was once seduce by a young woman name Simone Hie. Whom he know was a drug addict, in 1934 he married Simone Hié, the daughter of a successful ophthalmologist. Simone was from Algeria's upper-class and her mother -- the doctor -- supported the newlyweds. Unfortunately, Simone was also a drug addict. Camus' marriage ended when he learned Simone was having sex with a doctor in exchange for various drugs (Camus). “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow, don’t walk behind me, I may not lead, walk beside me and just be my friend- (Camus).

Conclusion

So in conclusion, Methamphetamine destroys home, families, neighborhoods, and school. The drug has no preference about rather you are rich, poor, religion or race. It will take everything you care about in a short about of time. According to the national institute of drug abuse it is highly addictive and effects the central nervous system (National Institute of drug abuse). Methamphetamine is also known as Meth, Chalk, Ice and Crystal. It has horrible effects on the body. Though some may recovery from meth addiction they never truly are the same again.  Drugs are not always necessary, but belief and a strong support system are in the path to recovery.          

Works Citied

"Albert Camus." Albert Camus. Meta Religion. Web. 11 May 2016. <http://www.meta-religion.com/Philosophy/Biography/Albert_Camus/albert_camus.htm>.

"Drug Abuse - Signs and Symptoms of Meth Use." RSS. Web. 11 May 2016. <http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/signs-symptoms-meth-use.html>.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/how-methamphetamine-abused

"National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)." <i>National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)</i>. Usa.gov, Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

"The History of Crystal Methamphetamine - Drug-Free World." The History of Crystal Methamphetamine - Drug-Free World. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.