Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the brain and the rest of the central nervous system.

Meth generally appears as an odorless powder substance that dissolves quickly in liquid. However, it can also be manufactured in other forms such as a clear, chunky crystal or a small bright colored tablet.

Meth is easily manufactured using over the counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine, iodine, ammonia, starter fluid or de-icer, drain cleaner or rubbing alcohol and lithium batteries.

Meth originated in Germany in 1887. During WWII, it was widely used by the Nazi and Japanese armies, creating severe withdrawal issues among soldiers and pilots after the war. Biker gangs in California began to distribute meth after the war and it's popularity gradually grew over time.

Until just a few years ago, "mom and pop" meth labs in Nebraska were the primary source for meth distribution in our state. However, with the passage of strict pseudoephedrine sales laws and increased meth lab awareness, Nebraska is now experiencing less in-state manufacturing and more importation of the drug. 

While meth manufacturing and distributing organizations exist all over the world, Mexico currently dominates in methamphetamine production and trafficking. In recent years, trafficking organizations have established a multitude of "super labs" designed to produce mass quantities of meth for distribution. 

Approximately two-thirds of our country's meth supply comes from super labs in Mexico run by organized street gangs in southern California. The remaining third comes from the mom and pop labs found in basements, kitchens, garages, abandoned buildings, barns and in trunks of cars across the nation.

Meth can be injected, smoked, snorted or taken orally.

Meth is used on its own or together with alcohol, cocaine or heroin to generate feelings of euphoria, hyperactivity and a sense of invulnerability.

Young women are using meth more and more as a diet supplement to control their appetite while increasing their energy. Some college students in Nebraska have confessed to using meth during finals week as it enables them to stay up for days at a time without feeling drowsy. Others report an intense, uninhibited feeling of sexual desire, or feelings of increased confidence and competence.

Despite the empowering feeling and false sense of energy meth provides its user, statistics show a much darker side. Between 1993 and 1995, deaths due to meth overdoses rose 125 percent; between the first half of 1996 and the first half of 1997, meth-related emergency room visits doubled (SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network).

Research shows that nationwide, the number of 12- to 17-year-olds who reported having used meth has increased dramatically in the past few years. The Panhandle has seen much the same trend. The Panhandle has seen much the same trend. According to the Scotts Bluff County WING Unit, meth related arrests are higher than any other county per capita in Nebraska.

Right after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the meth user experiences an intense feeling called a "rush" or a "flash." While the rush immediately causes extreme pleasure, that sensation only lasts a few minutes. After the rush, a high can last up to eight hours.

Following the high, the user experiences a devastating, intolerable sad feeling. Extreme agitation when startled or confused often leads a meth user to violent behavior and lashing out. This intense high followed by an intense low is called a "binge and crash" pattern. During the crash stage, also known as tweaking, users have reported sensations of insects crawling on their skin and/or an intense paranoid feeling that in some cases has led to suicide. In order to avoid this phase, users often continue taking the drug every two to three hours for several days.

Meth causes increased alertness, decreased appetite, increased energy and a distorted sense of well-being. Its effects can last any where from eight to twenty-four hours.  According to congressional research, behavior changes of meth users can include paranoia, aggression, anxiety, fatigue, depression, delusions, mood swings, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations and psychotic behavior.

The health changes of meth users can include stroke, brain damage similar to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or epilepsy, weight loss and even death. Physical changes often, but not always, include gray or black colored decaying teeth, hair loss and open sores.

Meth addiction is caused by changes in the brain that are produced by the drug. While the long-term effects of meth to the brain are not completely known, researchers report that injury to the brain cells remain months after a person quits using meth. 

An eight ball of meth (3.5 grams) on the streets of Scotts Bluff County cost approximately $200 to $250 and can get 15 people high. Compared to the costs of other drugs, such as cocaine or heroine, this seems like a deal. However, there are costs much greater than cash when meth is involved.

As with many addictions, the primary obstacle is getting a meth user to admit he or she has a problem and to enroll into long-term treatment. Therefore, the treatment techniques that have proven the most successful are ones that involve instilling change in a patient's thinking, expectations and behaviors.

Treatment can be done on an outpatient or inpatient basis and often includes intensive drug education, family and group therapies and self-help groups.

Because of increased use, meth treatment is on the rise in Nebraska. In 1992 and 1997, Nebraska's meth treatment admission rate was lower than any of its neighboring states; by 2002 and 2003 Nebraska's rate was exceeded only by Iowa and Wyoming.

For more information about treatment programs and therapists near you, contact the Panhandle Substance Abuse Council at (308) 632-3044 or go to www.psacr1.com.

Follow your instincts. If you think your child is using meth, address the problem head on. For a cost around $60, your child can be drug tested with a urine test that is 100 percent accurate. This test can be performed locally at Western Pathology Consultants PC (308-632-7411) or at Horizons West Urgent Care (308-630-21010). Peace of mind is well worth the money.

If your child tested positive, get him or her into treatment immediately and make the necessary changes to help him or her stay clean.

If your child tests negative, offer praise and positive feedback and use the experience as an opportunity to further educate him or her about the consequences of meth use. 

Parents - Stay involved with your teens. Know who they are hanging out with and where they are going. Watch for signs of dropping grades, switching friends, missing money and withdrawal from activities friends or family.

The internet can be dangerous. Parents should be aware of the easily accessible Internet information available on methamphetamines, including recipes and places to obtain ingredients for manufacturing the drug.

Where your teenagers hang-out can be dangerous. Scotts Bluff County has experienced situations where young people were using hotel bathtubs to manufacture meth.

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