• Meth had long lasting effects: 50% of cocaine is removed from the body in 1 hour, 50% of meth is removed in 12 hours.

• Most meth users in Santa Barbara County are young adults: 64% of those in publicly funded treatment between 2004-2005 were between the ages of 21-40.

• In 2005, 78% of drug-related bookings to Santa Barbara County Juvenile Halls were for meth.

• Between FY 00-01 to FY 04-05, there was a 37% countwide increase in clients admitted to treatment for methampethamine; meth is the number one primary drug of choice at admission (37%) in Santa Barbara County, as well as statewide (31% in State Fiscal Year 03-04)

• For Drug Court participants that tested positive for drug use, meth accounted for 55% (218 tests) in Santa Maria; 42% (204 tests) in Lompoc; 33% (110 tests) in Santa Barbara, according to the Probation Department.

• Substance abuse was identified as a factor in 68% of new Santa Barbara County child welfare cases opened in FY 04-05.

• Approximately half (52%) of the approximately 300 children in out-of-home placement on July 1, 2006 in Santa Barbara County were removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect resulting from parental use of methamphetamine.

• The increasing use of methamphetamines has challenged the abilities of Child Welfare to protect children, as essential resources, time, and funds are diverted to supporting the growing number of children entering foster care.

• Because of the time needed to recover from intense, sustained meth use and because users may be involved with the criminal justice system, it can be a challenge to achieve family reunification for meth-involved families within Adoptions and Safe Families Act timeframes.

• Countywide, 55% (957 of 1741) of meth users report being unemployed, and an addition 8.8% (154) report being unemployed and disabled. The highest rate of an unemployment among meth users is in the South County, at 62.2% (310 of 498), with an additional 8.8% (44) unemployed and disabled, white North County has the highest number of unemployed meth users (514).

Data Source: Methamphetamine and the Impact on Santa Barbara County Report to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors

Characteristics

Methamphetamine (meth) is a highly addictive, powerful, long-acting, physical, and psychological stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Methamphetamine is chemically related to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater.

Methamphetamine ­is known by a variety of street names including meth, speed, crank, crystal, CR, vitamin C, ice, go-fast, chalk, and glass.
Often powdery, meth may be found in a variety of colors (due to differences in chemicals used to produce it and the expertise of the manufacturer) and it may emit a chemical odor. 

Methods of ingestion: Smoking, snorting, eating, and injecting.

Health Hazards

Methamphetamine releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain dopamine as well as serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time, methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson’s disease, a severe movement disorder.

Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection, the methamphetamine user experiences an intense sensation, called a “rush” or “flash,” that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Oral or intranasal use produces euphoria—a high, but not a rush. Users may become addicted quickly, and use it with increasing frequency and in increasing doses.

Animal research going back more than 20 years shows that high doses of methamphetamine damage neuron cell endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing neurons do not die after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings (“terminals”) are cut back, and regrowth appears to be limited.

The central nervous system (CNS) actions that result from taking even small amounts of methamphetamine include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, hyperthermia, and euphoria. Other CNS effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia, and aggressiveness. Hyperthermia and convulsions can result in death.

Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes. Other effects of methamphetamine include respiratory problems, irregular heartbeat, and extreme anorexia. Its use can result in cardiovascular collapse and death.

*How would I footnote this information?  It came from the Methamphetamine and the Impact on Santa Barbara County – Report to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors

Symptoms

Short-term meth use can result in increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration; excessive sweating; flushed or tense appearance; a chemical odor on the breath; rapid speech; dilated pupils; bloodshot eyes; and inability to sleep or eat.

Prolonged use can cause severe physical and psychological problems, including permanent damage. Physical symptoms include severe weight loss, rotting teeth, scars, and open sores (hallucinations cause the user to scratch or gouge at imaginary "bugs"*). Body odor can be offensive because the chemicals used to manufacture meth are excreted in perspiration, and personal hygiene becomes less important with extensive use. Chronic physical effects include tremors, weakness, dry mouth, weight loss, coughing, sinus infections, sweating, burned lips, headaches, diarrhea and anorexia. Chronic users are also known as tweakers.

Consistent Physical Effects: Awake and alert, temporary mood elevation, insomnia, weight loss, lowered resistance to disease, damage to lungs, liver and kidneys and violent behavior.

Consistent Psychological Effects: Dependence, psychotic episodes, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fatigue, delusional and paranoid schizophrenia.

Consistent Withdrawal Symptomology: Depression, restlessness, talkativeness, insomnia, delirium, paranoid ideation, cardiac arrhythmias, circulatory collapse, nausea, cramps, coma, fatigue, tremors, irritability, anxiety, panic states, hypertension, heart palpitation, dry mouth, vomiting, convulsions and eventually death.

Physical Damage from Meth Use

Before	After 3 Months of Use

Before	After 1.5 Years of Use

Before	After 2.5 Years of Use