Meth is a synthetic drug, meaning it’s made from chemicals, and it can be produced in a laboratory, or even using something called the shake and bake method, in which the ingredients are mixed in a plastic bottle. To begin, the base ingredient in meth is pseudoephedrine, which is found in over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. This is taken and put through a process that extracts the active ingredient from the medicine, and then it’s mixed with highly toxic chemicals such as acetone or ammonia, in order to make a more powerful drug. Meth can be smoked, snorted or injected, and it is a stimulant, like cocaine. When someone takes meth, they will feel a rush of euphoria and extreme happiness, and they will also feel more confident and social. Unfortunately, in addition to the ravaging physical effects of meth, there are also terrible mental effects as well. For example, people who take meth can experience aggression, hallucinations and severe mood swings.
As a stimulant, when someone takes meth it impacts their central nervous system including their brain and spinal cord. It influences how chemicals communicate between nerve cells and brain cells. More specifically, when you take meth, it has an impact on the neurotransmitter dopamine. When you take the drug, large amounts of dopamine, a feel-good chemical, are released, which is what creates the rush. Following a binge on meth, the person will often experience something called tweaking. This can include paranoia, hallucination, and delusions. Meth users also often experience a severe crash, or period of depression, because their dopamine supply is depleted by using the drug.
South Carolina is number 10 on the list of the top states where the most meth labs were seized.
In Oklahoma, which ranks ninth, there have been steps made to restricted the purchase of pseudoephedrine, and in recent years tens of thousands of purchases of the medicine have been blocked as a result.
Kentucky is also working to restrict the availability of key meth ingredients, and since the state has started putting in place certain programs, they’ve had a 40 percent drop in detected meth labs.
North Carolina has seen a big uptick in meth incidents that involve the shake and bake or one-pot lab method.
Michigan ranks number six in terms of meth lab activity, and they’ve introduced an online registry to list offenders.
Illinois has made the participation in creating meth a Class X felony, punishable by a huge fine and up to 30 years in prison.
Ohio is not only facing a problem with opioids but also meth, particularly in the rural areas of the state.
For many years, Missouri was considered the meth capital of the U.S. and the meth capital of the world,
but the state has cut down on some of that activity. They’ve now gone down to third on the list of the states with the most meth lab activity, and much of this is because of changing methods of law enforcement, but unfortunately also newer stronger drugs coming in from Mexico.
Tennessee is number two on the list and is considered part of the Meth Belt. It’s wreaked havoc on the state, with hundreds of children being taken from parents involved in the use and trafficking of the drug.
The number one state that has now taken over as the meth capital of the U.S. and the meth capital of the world in Indiana. Indiana has busted thousands of meth labs, and it’s particularly problematic in Vanderburgh County, which is the area around Evansville. It’s gotten so bad in this so-called meth capital of the world and meth capital of the U.S. that public officials are warning people that trash left outdoors could be corrosive, toxic or flammable.
It’s unfortunate for Evansville and the state of Indiana to be crowned the meth capital of the U.S. and the meth capital of the world, but it and other states above are making serious strides to curb the use of this drug. Meth is a particular challenge because it’s not only harmful to the people who use it, but also the people who make it. It can even be dangerous to people who are inadvertently around where meth is being made, such as neighbors of people who make meth.
As a stimulant, when someone takes meth it impacts their central nervous system including their brain and spinal cord. It influences how chemicals communicate between nerve cells and brain cells. More specifically, when you take meth, it has an impact on the neurotransmitter dopamine. When you take the drug, large amounts of dopamine, a feel-good chemical, are released, which is what creates the rush. Following a binge on meth, the person will often experience something called tweaking. This can include paranoia, hallucination, and delusions. Meth users also often experience a severe crash, or period of depression, because their dopamine supply is depleted by using the drug.
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