The History Of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine was first synthesized in 1919 by a Japanese chemist named A. Ogata. Since then, it’s been illegally produced in the US since the 1970s. It was originally used as a way to stay awake and alert: college students used it to stay awake for studying, businessmen and secretaries used it to overcome fatigue, truckers used it to stay awake on their long drives, and athletes used it to increase their alertness and energy levels. Meth and its parent drug, amphetamine, were a very common war drug. In World War II, Adolf Hitler took daily injections of amphetamines, and soldiers (American, Japanese, German, and Canadian) were given pills to help them stay awake. Although soldiers had legal access to it in the war, when they got home they …show more content…
It’s also a popular drug amongst the gay bars in cities and seniors in high school. Some people may even be convinced to do it by their friends. But, if they take enough to get high, people are easily addicted. Somebody might tell themselves that “they’ll just try it once” or “I’ll be cool if I do it; it’s what my friends are doing”, but once you start, it’s extremely hard to stop. After the first time, the brain wants to recreate the amazing high you felt. However, your brain has also become used to the effects of crystal meth, so to replicate that high, you need to take more and more. This is what causes dependence (“Why Is Crystal Meth so Addictive?”). Once somebody is addicted to crystal meth, the short term and long term effects can be devastating. Short-term physical effects can include violent behavior, mood swings, tremors, convulsions, increase blood pressure, irregular heart rate, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, and a suppressed appetite. Long-term effects include brain damage, coma, stroke, death, weight loss, skin sores (caused by the hallucination that bugs are crawling under the skin), psychosis, hallucinations, and meth mouth. Meth mouth is caused by tooth decay, cracked teeth, and gum infections (“Crystal …show more content…
Releasing excessive amounts of dopamine can also the release of free radicals (chemically reactive particles), which leads to cell damage, genetic mutations, cancer, cell death, and aging in the body (Lee). Because these excessive amounts of dopamine make the user feel so happy, other, natural highs, feel like nothing in comparison. This means that the only way a user can feel good is by being high on crystal meth. When a user crashes, or comes off of their high, they may feel withdrawal symptoms. These can be extremely painful and uncomfortable, meaning that the user will be very moody. They may even experience suicidal or homicidal thoughts (“What Is Meth Made