IN THE NEWS| CRYSTAL METH - Drugscope, Nov 30, 2006 - Myths about Crystal Meth |
DrugData Update
new publications added to the DrugScope collection, plus a weekly focus
article on Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Focus: U.S. Myths About Methamphetamine
This week's focus article comes a day early this week, as today has been
designated National Meth Awareness Day in the United States. George
Marcelle, Communications Director, ORC Macro-Social & Health Services, Ltd.,
Los Angeles, highlights some of the most prevalent items of misinformation
about the drug.
In 2006, methamphetamine continues its eastward spread in the U.S.,
attracting new users in new areas. Several myths about the drug may have
helped alert the public to the problem and have prompt official action. But
these myths have also misled many Americans, including some law enforcement
and substance abuse professionals.
Myth 1: Methamphetamine is the country's (sometimes, the world's) number one
drug problem. There are places where police, courts, child protective and
placement agencies, drug programs, and hospitals may see more meth-related
cases than for any other drug. For them, this may be their biggest drug
problem on a given day. But national data provide put this into perspective.
In 2003, methamphetamine admissions to public treatment programs ranked 6th
at 7.7 percent of such admissions. (Alcohol alone led with 23.2 percent,
followed by alcohol plus another drug at 18.7 percent,).[1] In 2004, not
quite 600,000 Americans aged 12 years and older reported meth use in the
past month. They were among 19.2 million past-month users of illicit drugs,
while about half of Americans 12 and older are current (past month) alcohol
drinkers. [2]
Myth 2: Methamphetamine use is increasing among teens. Meth use may be
increasing among some teen subgroups (e.g.,gay youth; rural youth in some
areas). Nationally, however, use among 12- to 17-year-olds has declined as
the average age of first use has risen (to 22.1 years of age in 2004).[3]
Use has fallen among high school students as well, although one researcher
observed that ".it is possible that use is increasing among high school
dropouts, who are not captured in the survey, and among young adults."[4]
Federal data for 2002, 2003, and 2004 show prevalence of past-year meth
among 12- to 17-year-olds at 0.7 percent.[5]
Myth 3: Even one-time meth use leads to addiction. Experts estimate that it
takes from 2 to 5 years to establish methamphetamine addiction, but
acknowledge reports of meth addiction occurring in less that one year of
regular use.[6] Addiction is usually the result of chronic use, leading to
increased tolerance, higher and more frequent dosages, and changes in
ingestion methods.[7] The intense euphoria meth users report may leave many
who did not plan to continue using the drug eager to repeat the experience.
Myth 4: Babies born to meth-using women suffer serious, chronic problems.
Some evidence indicates that meth use during pregnancy may result in some
birth abnormalities or learning disabilities.[8] However, information about
the effects of prenatal exposure to meth remains limited. Women planning for
motherhood should avoid all forms of substance abuse, but inflammatory,
stigmatizing terms like "meth babies" and "ice babies" should also be
avoided.[9]
Myth 5: Methamphetamine is a major threat to children. Children in the care
of adults who make, use or sell methamphetamine are at risk for being
neglected or abused; their presence where the drug is being made puts them
in harm's way. But not all meth-involved adults neglect or abuse their
children and most users do not make the drug themselves. Far more children
are at risk because they live in households where there is alcoholism. In
2003, an estimated 1,300 U.S. meth lab incidents involved a child being
exposed to toxic chemicals, and 724 children were removed from such
sites.[10] But during the same period "more than 6 million children lived
with at least 1 parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit
drug." [11]
Myth 6: Methamphetamine addicts do not respond to treatment. Several states
report meth treatment success rates ranging from 60 to almost 90
percent:[12] Among Iowa's publicly funded programs, 65.5 percent of meth
clients were abstinent 6 months after discharge.[13] The Matrix Model, (the
curriculum is now marketed by the Hazelden Foundation) based on earlier
cocaine treatment models, has also reported high rates of success in
treating meth addiction.[14] In San Diego, The Stepping Stone, serving gay
people, instituted a Sexual Behavior Relapse Prevention pilot program to
increase client retention, decrease client recidivism, and reduce
HIV-infection from drug- or sex-linked relapse. At 6-month and 1-year
follow-ups, significant improvement on all three measures was reported for
meth clients on the pilot-study track.[15]
Methamphetamine is a terrible drug, no doubt about it. The price for the
exceptional euphoria it can produce can be even more exceptional for those
who use it. It's manufacture and trafficking bring violence and
environmental damage and create great risks for anyone who happens to be
nearby. At the same time, meth myths and misinformation serve only to
misdirect scarce resources and complicate efforts to understand and respond
to actual methamphetamine problems.
Posted December 22, 2006
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