Drug Unit(Day 6)

Methamphetamines

Crack/Cocaine

Bell Ringer #6

• Create an advertisement for “Say No To Drugs”

• Use the information you have taken in your notes to this point.

• You must have at least 7 valid points or arguments to say no.

METHAMPHETAMINES

Central Nervous System Stimulant

What is Meth?

• A potential central nervous system stimulant.

• Drug made from harmful chemicals.

• A health and environmental danger.

Meth make-up

• Starter fluid• Freon (freezer)• Iodine crystals• Hydrochloric acid• Lye• Sulfuric Acid (drain cleaner)• Lithium metal• Red and yellow phosphorus• Sodium metal• Etc. (these are only a few of the harmful chemicals that

make up methamphetamines)

Why should I be concerned?

• Users aren’t the only people poisoned by this drug.

• Manufacturing is extremely dangerous and involves many chemical products.

• Many of these are potentially lethal and toxic when combined.

• These chemical fumes permeate the walls, carpets, plaster and wood in the meth labs.

• Most labs are houses! Even after the labs are shut down, the dangers for a new owner of the house can be extremely high.

Mental and Physical Dangers!!!

• Aggressive and psychotic behavior

• Irritability• Anxiety• Paranoia• Auditory Hallucinations• Delusions• Severe Depression with

talks of suicide• Loss of appetite

• Central Nervous System failures

• Kidney and Liver damage• Burning eyes, throat, and

nose.• Skin irritation• Long term cardiac and

neurological damage (strokes)

Physical and BehavioralSymptoms

• Unexplained weight loss• Abnormal sweating• Sores that don’t heal• Dilated pupils• Tremors• Chest pain• Burns on lips or fingers• Itching• Poor hygiene/body odor• Picking at skin/pulling hair• Skin lesions on face, arms, or

legs• Etc.

• Withdrawal from friends or family

• Change in friends• Disinterest in previously

enjoyed activities• Long periods without sleep

(24-120 hrs)• Long periods of sleep (24-48

hrs)• Slurred and rapid speech

Environmental Hazards

• Meth lab “cooks” leave approx. six pounds of hazardous toxic waste for each pound of methamphetamine produced.

• Lab operators often pour leftover chemicals and by-products down household drains, wells, storm drains, or directly onto the ground.

• Many of the chemicals remain in the soil and groundwater for years.

• Clean-up costs are extremely high because contaminated soil, buildings and other materials must be removed and incinerated (burned).

Signs of a Meth Lab

• Frequent visitors at all times of day and night• Occupants usually appear unemployed, yet have plenty

of money• Unfriendly occupants that seem secretive about their

activities• Suspiciously watch passing cars• Paranoid or odd behavior• Extensive security at the home, such as “Beware of Dog”

or “Private Property” signs. Large fences, lots of bushes or trees around the house.

• Chemical odors• Occupants smoke cigarettes outside of the house• Etc.

Users introduce Meth by:

• Smoking

• Injecting

• Snorting

• Oral use (eating)

• All users feel a false sense of well-being afterwards (the rush of strong feelings)

“Meth Mouth”

• Condition of the teeth• Meth dries out the salivary glands leading to

high levels of bacteria and dry mouth.• Acid causes erosion of tooth enamel• Meth decay starts at the gum line and spreads

around the entire tooth, eating the enamel in its wake.

• Meth users grind their teeth causing cracks• Meth causes blood vessels to the oral tissues to

shrink making the tissue break down and die.

How Meth affects user’s lives!

• The Rush - initial response • The High – feels aggressively smarter, etc. Can last 4-

16 hrs.• The Binge – Can last 3-15 days. Constant use of the

drug• Tweaking – feeling one gets when drug no longer gives

the “high” and unable to relieve terrible feelings of craving

• The Crash – Body can’t cope with drug effects• Meth Hangover – a deteriorated state after the crash• Withdrawal – 30-90 days can pass before user realizes

they are in this stage. Craving for more hits and it is extremely painful and difficult.

Street Names

• Beannies• Brown• Chalk• Crank• Chicken Feed• Crypto• Redneck Cocaine• Speed• Tick Tick• Tweak

• Batu• Blade• Cristy• Crystal• Crystal Glass• Glass• Hot Ice• Shards• Etc.

CRACK/COCAINE

“A Deadly White Powder”

“Rock”

COCAINE

• Powder or crystal form• Extracted from coca leaves• Originally developed as a pain killer• Most often sniffed with the powder absorbed by

the bloodstream through the nasal tissues• Can be ingested or rubbed into the gums• Some users inject it but there is a more

substantial increase of overdose• Inhaling the smoke speeds up absorption

Street Names

• Aunt Nora• Binge • Blow• C• Coke• Dust• Booger Sugar

• Mojo• Nose Candy• Snow• White• Toot• Sniff• “Rich Man’s Drug”

Statistics

• 2nd most trafficked illegal drug in the world

• Largest amounts of seized cocaine are from South America, followed by North America

• As of 2006, 35.3 million Americans aged 12 and older reported having used “Coke”

Hey boy What does it do?

• Creates a physiological dependence

• Stimulates key pleasure centers of the brain and causes extremely heightened euphoria.

• Dopamine, the “feel good” chemicals of your brain are depleted with use.

• Tolerance is developed quickly

Short Term Effects

• Loss of appetite• Increased heart rate• Increased breathing rate• Dilated pupils• Nausea• Bizarre, erratic,

sometimes violent behavior

• Hallucinations

• Irritability• Intense Euphoria• Paranoia• Depression• Intense craving for more

of the drug• Panic and psychosis• Convulsions, seizures

and sudden death from high doses (even one time)

Long Term Effects

• Permanent damage to blood vessels of the heart and brain

• High blood pressure• Heart attacks and

strokes• Liver, kidney and lung

damage• malnutrition

• Tooth decay• Weight loss• Sexual reproduction

damage and infertility• Severe depression• Death (even after just

one use)

CRACK

• Crystal form of cocaine• Yellow in color to pale rose or white• Heated and smoked• Named for popping sound it makes when heated• Most potent form of cocaine and also the riskiest• Usually 75-100% pure, far stronger and more

potent than regular cocaine• Smoking crack allows it to reach brain more

quickly which brings an intense and immediate high (short lived about 15 min.)

• Sold cheap to get you hooked

Street Names

• Apple Jacks• Badrock• Ball• Base• Crack• Devil Drug• Dice• Electric Kool-aid• Hard Ball• Ice Cube

• Raw• Rock• Rock Star• Sleet• Snow coke• Sugar Block• Etc.

Statistics

• In US federal courts in 2007, 5,477 individuals were found guilty of crack cocaine-related crimes

• More than 95% of these offenders had been involved in trafficking

• 8.6 million Americans 12 or older have used crack

Why so addictive?

• One of the most powerful illegal drugs when it comes to producing physiological dependence

• Stimulates key pleasure centers in the brain

• Compulsive crack use develops soon after the person starts using

• Tolerance is developed quickly so more of the drug is needed to get “high”

Short Term Effects

• Loss of appetite• Increased heart rate• Increased blood pressure• Increased body temp.• Dilated pupils• Disturbed sleep patterns• Nausea• Hallucinations

• Intense Euphoria• Anxiety • Paranoia• Depression• Intense craving for more

of the drug• Panic and psychosis• Convulsions and seizures• Sudden Death (even with

one use)

Long Term Effects

• Permanent damage to blood vessels of brain

• Strokes • Heart Attacks• Liver and kidney

damage• Chest pains• Respiratory Failure

• Malnutrition• Tooth decay• Sexual problems• Risky behavior• Delirium or psychosis• Severe depression• Death