Meth Use...What is going on?

Meth use is become a more prevalent problem as people have found easier ways of obtaining the materials and methods of making the drug at home. It is scary to know how these people 'cook' the meth because it is extremely dangerous. The meth labs include:

◦Cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine
◦Lithium batteries
◦Rock salt
◦Lye
◦Iodine
◦Paint thinner
◦Drain cleaner
◦Heet gasoline additives
◦Aluminum foil
◦Matchbooks (red phosphorus)

Through my previous rotation at a psych ward, it is devastating to see how meth use can ruin a person's life and relationships. Since meth is a stimulant drug, it stimulates the body with a euphoric high. People feel happy during that high. But the high does not last forever and coming down is pretty rough. A person detoxing on meth has to just crash because there is no antidote or treatment. So they will crash and then go through withdrawal because the body wants that high but is no longer getting it. Meth addictions are one of the hardest drug addictions to overcome and sadly many never recover. The seeking behavior that addicts use to find their next high turns into a lot of time and money spent which starts to affect the addicts ability to keep relationships with family, friends, etc.

Some people argue that requiring prescriptions for any medication that has pseudoephedrine in it, as the state of Oregon does, would decrease the meth use. I think that pseudoephedrine products should be available for people to use correctly as they work very well for flu and allergy relief. I believe that it is not the psuedoephedrine that is killing people but people are sadly killing themselves.