METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICTION WHAT OUR YOUTHS SHOULD KNOW

 METHAMPHETAMINE (Mkpụrụ mmiri), What our youths should know.


I believe the name Mkpụrụ mmiri comes from the fact that the drug, crystal methamphetamine looks like pieces of ice or glass fragments.


It was discovered in 1893 and initially was meant for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (because it increases alertness) and obesity (because it reduces appetite), it is rarely prescribed for these uses anymore because of its high addiction rate and subsequent toxicity.

Some of the ways people take the drug are by smoking, swallowing or injecting the drug that has been dissolved in water or alcohol.

Because the initial high experienced when a user takes the drug does not last long, users often take repeated doses to continue experiencing the ‘highness” and this is where the addiction comes in, the user just wants to experience the euphoria again and again.

Methamphetamine also known in the street as Meth, ice or Mkpụrụ mmiri is a potent brain stimulant, this means that it increases brain and central nervous system activity, making the person feel more alert and energetic.


The short term effects of Methamphetamine include.

• Increased interest in sexual activity (libido)

• Intense feeling of pleasure

• Rapid or shallow breathing

• Increased blood pressure and body temperature

• Tachycardia (increased heart rate, the heart beats faster than normal)

Addiction to methamphetamine can damage the heart, cause high blood pressure and irregular heart beat.


Some of the long term effects of Methamphetamine include.

• Addiction, this makes the user feel the compulsion of taking the drug, the longer he takes the more dependent he becomes, causing the user to take higher doses in pursuit of that initial high which may ultimately result to drug overdose and death.

• Sexual aggressiveness.

• Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety and paranoia.

• The user may also have difficulty in experiencing pleasure apart from the one that comes from the use of meth.

• Heart disease.

• Violent behaviour

• Hallucinations, seeing imaginary things

• Risk of contracting diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, this can be contracted by sharing of needles that are used to inject the drug.


If you or someone you know is suffering from Methamphetamine addiction, it is never late to seek urgent medical help before it is too late.

Flogging meth addicts or ostracizing them will not solve the problem, they are just humans as we all are and deserve compassion, the best is to help them get urgent medical care to help them stay off the drug.


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