VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT METHAMPHETAMINE

What Is Methamphetamine

- - Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant,
which accelerates the heart rate and other processes of the body.

It causes a state of extreme euphoria and pleasure by stimulating the
excessive release of adrenaline. Users feel confident, powerful,
successful, joyful and sexy, as well as alert, restless and excited. The
high can last 8-12 hours.

- - Methamphetamine elevates blood pressure, heart and breathing rates, body
temperature and perspiration which can lead to stroke, brain damage and
seizures. It can also produce visual and auditory hallucinations, or
violent paranoid and repetitive behaviour.

There are serious, lasting physical and psychological side-effects of
methamphetamine use.

Common slang for methamphetamine:

- - Meth, crystal meth or crystal, speed, glass, ice (smokable form), shards,
jib, crank, peanut butter, chicken, tweek, go fast.

What goes into meth?

- - The crucial ingredients are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which are
extracted from common cold medications.

- - Methamphetamines also include some combination of the following: Alcohol,
tolulene (brake cleaner), red phosphorous (matches, road flares), ether
(engine starter), iodine, lithium (batteries), Triclorethane (gun
scrubber), MSM (a cutting agent), sodium metal, methanol alcohol (gasoline
additives), muriatic acid (pool cleaner), anhydrous ammonia (farm
fertilizer), lye, acetone, cat litter.

How is methamphetamine made?

- - Methamphetamine is typically produced in clandestine labs made of simple
equipment. Things like glass pots, jugs, coffee filters, propane cylinders
and hot-plates are used. Equipment for a lab can take as little space as a
car trunk. Fumes and by-products from "cooking", or meth production, are
toxic and can be deadly.

What does meth look like?

- - Methamphetamine comes in different forms which include 5-15 mg tablets,
brown granules, an off-white crystalline powder, or clear transparent
crystals. The drug is preferred in crystal form because it's typically the
purest. It is most commonly seen in powder form selling for approximately
$10-$15 for 0.10 grams in Saskatchewan.

How is meth done?

- - Methamphetamine can be ingested, smoked, snorted, or injected.

- - It is most commonly smoked for an almost immediate high. This is known
around Saskatoon as "doing puddles." In the Prince Albert area it's called
"smoking a bowl," "doing some burns" or "smoking some jib." Often this is
done in a bong, or glass pipe, which can be as simple as a broken
lightbulb. The crystals are heated on the shards of the bulb and the smoke
is inhaled. Meth burns very hot and smoking it can cause burns to the face,
mouth and throat.

- - Ingesting the drug can be referred to as "parachuting," because it is
wrapped in a tissue and swallowed to dull the harshness of the drug and
slow its release.

- - Injecting the drug is sometimes referred to as "banging it." A favorite
injection site is the veins at the base of the skull, which deliver the
drug directly into the brain. The hairline also hides track marks.

- - Snorting meth is known as "doing knuckles." Snorting creates a lot of
soreness and redness of the nose as well as sniffling.