• Methamphetamine Facts (Meth, Crystal Meth)

    Street Terms: Speed, meth, crystal meth, chalk, ice, crystal, chalk, crank, tweak, uppers, black beauties, glass, biker's coffee, poor man's cocaine, chicken feed, shabu, crystal meth, stove top, trash, co-fast, yaba, yellow bam

    What is It?

    Methamphetamine, or meth, is a highly addictive synthetic chemical that acts as a stimulant. It is snorted, injected, smoked, or swallowed. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, their neighbors, and the environment.

    Creating a sense of energy, meth can push the body faster and further than it's safe to go. It increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and the risk of stroke.

    Meth can kill you by causing overheating, convulsions, and coma.

    Street Terms

    Speed, meth, crystal meth, chalk, ice, crystal, chalk, crank, tweak, uppers, black beauties, glass, biker's coffee, poor man's cocaine, chicken feed, shabu, crystal meth, stove top, trash, co-fast, yaba, yellow bam

    Risks

    Increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia (when the body overheats) / Unhealthy weight loss / Severe dental problems / Anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior / Psychotic features, including paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects "Meth Bugs" creeping under the skin) / Severe "crash" after the effects wear off / Damage to blood vessels in the brain / Risk for acquiring HIV/AIDS for those that inject the drug, or those who engage in risky sexual behavior- sometimes associated with meth abuse. / Structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory / Addiction / Liver, kidney, and lung