METH GETS YOU HIGH, BUT FALL CAN BE DEADLY

Drug becomes sole purpose in life.

As illegal drugs go, methamphetamine is pretty cheap.

For $25 or less, a meth user can take the stimulant and experience a
high that can last from several hours to more than a day.

Users say the drug initially gives them feelings of energy, confidence
and euphoria.

"You feel like a super hero," one wrote in an e-mail to a Koch Crime
Institute Web site regarding methamphetamine in Kansas.

"I never felt so alive in my life, never talked so much," recalled
another.

One woman said the drug helped her lose weight by taking away her
appetite for everything -- except meth.

Authorities say methamphetamine short-circuits a person's survival
system by artificially stimulating the reward center, or pleasure
areas in the brain. The user becomes more interested in meth and less
in other aspects of life.

During one laboratory test, in which animals pressed levers to satisfy
wants and needs, the test subjects died of starvation while giving
themselves methamphetamine -- even though food was available.

Users who contacted the Koch Crime Institute site agreed that meth can
rob people of their looks, health, self-esteem, income, freedom,
sanity and even their lives.

"It makes you paranoid, depressed, and it causes you to prioritize
your life in all the wrong ways," wrote one.

Another described meth as a substance that "looks like salt and acts
like the devil."

Rock, powder or crystal

Actually, a Kansas Bureau of Investigation official says, meth comes
in forms that look like a powder, small rocks or small crystals.

The drug can be a variety of colors, including pink, brown or white,
said Jeff Brandau, the KBI's special agent in charge of narcotics
investigations for eastern Kansas.

He said the drug can be smoked, snorted, injected into the veins,
eaten or swallowed with a drink.

New meth users generally choose to smoke or snort the drug, according
to two narcotics officers who work for the Shawnee County Sheriff's
Department.

Marijuana users sometimes see smoking meth as a "gradual next step"
from smoking pot, Brandau said.

The sheriff's officers said experienced meth users are more likely to
inject the drug or swallow it in a drink of cola or coffee.

The first time

Authorities say some people try meth for the first time to fit in
among their peers at "rave" parties and similar social events.

Others take the drug because they want to lose weight or stay awake
during long hours of work or study.

A few are curious because they have heard meth will improve their sex
life.

Methamphetamine stimulates the nervous system. It was developed in the
early 1900s from its parent drug, amphetamine, and originally was used
in nasal decongestants, bronchial inhalers and in the treatment of
narcolepsy and obesity.

Meth was commonly known as "speed" in the 1960s, when it was made in
pill presses. Officials say the meth market grew dramatically after
the development in the late 1970s or early 1980s of a shockingly
simple recipe that used easy-to-find chemicals. California motorcycle
gangs came to dominate the large-scale production and distribution of
the drug.

The late 1990s saw a marked increase in the production of meth at
small labs in the central states.

Today, authorities say, most of the meth in Kansas is made in the
state or comes from Mexico. Meth is also known as speed, crank, chalk,
cristy, ice crystal, glass, quartz, go-fast or zip.

A cheap high

In part, authorities attribute meth's popularity to its price. They
say the drug can be acquired for $80 to $100 a gram in the Topeka area.

Consequently, one-eighth to one-quarter of a gram, which Brandau said
should be enough to keep a user high for hours, would cost between $10
and $25.

Crack cocaine also costs $80 to $100 a gram, officials say, but crack
highs generally last only about 20 minutes.

"With meth, they get more bang for the buck," said Lt. John Sams, who
supervises narcotics officers for the Topeka Police Department.

Once ingested, meth quickly affects the central nervous system,
speeding up the heart and increasing blood pressure.

Users find themselves unable to sleep. Many become paranoid. The
increased energy can sometimes lead to a heart attack, stroke or convulsions

As effects of the drug wear off, users experience a severe "crash."
Some sleep for 24 hours or more.

The body of a meth user builds up a tolerance to the drug, meaning he
or she will need more meth each time to reach the same high.

Quitting meth is a slow and difficult process -- but far preferable to
the alternatives, authorities say.

Effects of continued meth use can include brain damage, liver damage,
severe weight loss, permanent psychological problems and death.

For those concerned that a friend or relative may be abusing the drug,
officials say methamphetamine users often share several of these
characteristics:

A hyperactive nature.

A tendency to stay awake for long periods.

Considerable weight loss in a short period of time.

Writhing, flailing or jerky movements.

A tendency to grind their teeth.

A neglect of personal hygiene.

Nervousness and/or paranoia.

Rapid changes in friends and/or behavior.

The presence of acne, known as "speed bumps."

An inability to think in logical ways or keep a straight train of
thought.

The letters from meth users referred to in this article can be found
on the Internet at http://www.kci.org/meth_info/meth_letters.htm.