As part of a nationwide effort, November 30th has been declared National Methamphetamine Awareness Day. The day aims to educate the American public about the effects of methamphetamine abuse on families and communities. As part of the initiative, it is hoped to increase awareness and decrease demand for the highly-addictive drug.
A national survey found one out of six young adults has used illicit drugs in the last month. Brain scientists now know why just one use of crystal meth (methamphetamine) can make a person feel hooked.
The awareness day is an effort to send a prevention message to potential meth users. It also gets the message out about available programs to current users. In some parts of the country, meth use is increasing while in others it continues to rise.
Part of the reason meth is so addictive is it increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine occurs naturally in our brains. It affects our body’s reward centers as well as our movement, motivation, and reinforcement. It’s the impact on this area of the brain that makes methamphetamine so addictive.
Beyond the short-term effects of alertness, increased physical activity, reduced or no appetite, rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure, continued use of methamphetamine has long-term health effects.
- risk of diseases transmitted through needles
- addiction
- extreme weight loss
- dental problems including tooth loss and gum disease
- sleeping disorders
- memory loss
- anxiety
- skin issues
- hallucinations
- paranoia
