DPNC

Street Names: Speed, meth, tina, tweak, chalk, ice, crystal, glass, Bulb baby, chore boy,
hitter, Pink glass, Throwing darts, freshies, Geek, Gack, Geet, Amp, Rails, railing down,
bangers, slammers, C.R., crank, tweak, Poor man's coke, Hooking up.

Effects: Increases wakefulness and physical activity and decreases appetite. Chronic,
long-term use can lead to psychotic behavior, hallucinations, and stroke.
Addiction experts say crystal meth first became popular in poor areas of rural North America
for a number of reasons. It was a cheap high and, in initial stages of use, it actually gave the
energy that allowed the user to keep working. It was also considered "cool" by young people
who did not have big-city connections to other street drugs.
A recent Statistics Canada survey of teenagers showed that among those who answered
questions about drug use:
34 per cent had tried marijuana.
4 per cent had used ecstasy.
3 per cent had used crack cocaine.
2 per cent had used crystal meth.
1 per cent had used heroin.
Six Safety Tips for approaching a person on Meth
* Keep 7-10 feet away, getting to close can be threatening.
* Don't shine bright lights. The person on meth is already paronoid, and, if blinded by a bright
light, he /she is likely to become violent.
* Slow your speach and lower the pitch of your voice. A person on meth is already hearing
sounds at a fast pace and in a high pitch.
* Slow your movements. This will decrease the odds that he/she will misinterpret your physical
actions.
* Keep your hands visible. If you place your hands where he/she cannot see them, he might feel
threatened and become violent.
* Keep her/him talking. A individual on meth who becomes silent can become extremely
dangerous. Silence often means that his/her paronoid thoughts have taken over reality, and
anyone present could become part of his/her paronoid delusions.
Symptoms of an Overdose from Methadone include but are not limited to the following:
muscle spasticity
difficulty breathing
slow, shallow and labored breathing
stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
pinpoint pupils
bluish skin
bluish fingernails and lips
spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
constipation
weak pulse
low blood pressure
drowsiness
disorientation
coma
death
respiratory depression
circulatory collapse
cardiac arrest
euphoria
dysphoria
motor retardation
sedation

Below are some pictures of Before/After effects of Crystal Meth Addiction.

Can an addict recover?

Experts say that crystal meth is one of the most addictive street drugs and one of the hardest to
treat. Addiction counsellors say the relapse rate of 92 per cent is worse than cocaine.
The withdrawal symptoms, especially the depression and physical agony, are reported by
addiction counsellors to be worse than heroin or cocaine, and often addicts will drop out of
recovery programs.
This situation is worse in the United States than in Canada because patients in the U.S. usually
have inadequate health insurance or none at all. Those American patients in managed care
programs are often cut off before treatment is complete. In Canada, however, provincial health
insurance and government recovery programs can help the addict recover.
With increasing use of the drug, there are strong indications that users suffer brain damage,
including memory impairment and an increasing inability to grasp abstract thoughts. Those who
do manage to recover from addiction and retain memory and the ability to function in society are
usually subject to some memory gaps and extreme mood swings.

Who uses crystal meth?

According to mental health workers, police and research scientists, the people who use crystal
meth include: Large numbers of rural and small town poor across North America.
*Some young people in the rave and dance scene
*Some young people who want to lose weight.
*Gay males involved in the dance scene or who frequent bathhouses.

Statistics and Trends: 2.7% of Manitoba students and 3.3 of Ontario students report using
meth in the past year, and 6.4% of Canadians report having used �speed�
Worldwide, WHO estimates over 34,000,000 people use crystal meth daily, more than crack
cocaine and heroin users combined.