The Facts: Info on meth-related issues

Meth isn't’t a joke. Look at the stats. Ninety-nine percent of first time users are hooked after their first try. Look again. The life expectancy of a person who uses meth regularly is as little as five years.

If by some chance meth use doesn't’t end your life, the odds are it will at least ruin it. Because of the poisonous and often combustible chemicals used in its production, meth has significant and alarming side effects...

Unfortunately, that’s not all. Meth addiction results in tremendous personal torment. Desperate meth users who’ve been deprived of their fix have been observed picking and eating scabs off of their bodies, along with drinking their own urine in an effort to try to find enough meth chemicals to get high.

• 73% of Wasco County child abuse cases are meth related.
• 99% of first-time meth users are hooked after the first try.
• Meth use among Oregon females under 17 and under increased by 57% over the past 5 years.
• The life expectancy of a habitual meth user is as little as 5 years.
• Five pounds of toxic waste material is produced in the manufacture of every one pound of meth.
• Meth is also referred to as Speed, Ice, Chalk, Crank, Fire, Glass, and Crystal.
• Methamphetamine in tied to almost every property and identity theft crimes in Oregon.

CHARACTERISTICTS OF A METH USER:

* Extremely nervous, delusional, paranoid, or aggressive behaviors

* Jerky body movements

* Skeletal appearance

* Grayish, leather-like skin tone

* Sores on the skin

* Dilated pupils

* Excessive sweating

* Offensive body odor

* Bad dental hygiene

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The Victims ....Affecting more than just abusers.

Meth users: People addicted to meth get incredibly wired, may rob and steal to support their addiction, lose interest in employment and their ability to hold a job, and often end up in treatment, jail or dead. Procuring meth often becomes the central activity in their lives.

Families: Meth users can ignore or endanger their families. Children often go unsupervised and lack basic hygiene and nutrition. Innocent family members are exposed to toxic chemicals and could be victims of fires or explosions because of the volatile materials used to make the drug.

Neighborhoods: In addition to fires and explosions, toxic waste dumped from labs presents serious heath and safety threats to those living near suspected sites. Meth houses also lower property values.

Entire communities: Meth users and labs monopolize community resources because of the ned to fight associated crime, treat resulting health problems, repair property damage and restore the environment.

Methamphetamines....What is this meth stuff:

Depressed. Addicted. Alienated. That's the life of a meth user-a constant cycle of abuse that-if prolonged- ends in premature death. Meth isn't just some drug without long-term consequences. Meth can and will kill you. In fact, meth is so powerful that someone can become addicted after the first use.

Getting charged with meth possession or facing jail time aren't the most threatening outcomes of meth use. The most serious dangers of meth are it's effects on your body. Meth is an illegal and powerful drug made of common household chemicals, such as nail polish remover, antifreeze, peroxide or even kitty litter. Would you ever ingest these chemicals individually, let alone combined with others to make meth? No way!