Meth | Teen Ink

Meth MAG

By Anonymous

What is the most devastating drug facing youth today? Methamphetamine is a substance that may be injected, swallowed, snorted, or smoked. Meth is odorless and tastes like hair spray. Hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, iodine flakes, acetone from nail polish remover, anhydrous ­ammonia from fertilizer, and ground-up matches are some of the substances cooked into meth. Few people are aware of the long-term health problems that can occur from using it, ­including convulsions, paranoia, anxiety, agitation, diarrhea, hallucinations, insomnia, and even stroke and heart attack.

Someone I know used this dangerous drug. “I would sit in the dark for hours just writing nonsense. I couldn’t watch TV ­because the shows didn’t make any sense,” she said. Her nose often bled, another side effect. Weight loss and scabbing, two of the most drastic and noticeable effects of meth, result from the chemical mixtures that eat away at users’ insides, and the hallucinated bugs that they see crawling everywhere cause them to scratch or pick at their skin.

Even more fatal consequences of this drug are STDs and AIDS; some users are willing to sell their bodies in exchange for the four- to 18-hour high. Users may even steal from their closest friends and family. Being a meth addict is like taking a pound of flesh because it not only consumes those who use it but also all that is dear to them.


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This article has 16 comments.


Pharmer said...
on Jun. 17 2012 at 4:09 pm
Those ingredients aren't cooked into the meth, they're simply used in the process to reduce psuedoephedrine into purified methamphetamine. While there are indeed some cases of impure meth generally, the side effects which deteriorate vital organs don't come from these impurities, they come from the fact that meth puts your body into overdrive and uses up much of what makes you healthy, also much of the consequences is how meth changes your behavior psychologically speaking. 

on Nov. 10 2010 at 6:37 pm
blackbird704 BRONZE, Los Angeles, California
3 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The unexamined life is not worth living.&quot; <br /> -Socrates

Thanks for this it really helped me understand meth and kind of scared  me too

DNO414 BRONZE said...
on Oct. 28 2010 at 12:09 pm
DNO414 BRONZE, Maringouin, Louisiana
1 article 0 photos 5 comments
There's no one in the world I would advise to do Meth. I used to smoke, and that was killing me. It took me awhile to realize it, but i got it. Meth is made of some deadly chemicals. Why should we push it in our body to kill us?

BeH304 BRONZE said...
on Oct. 28 2010 at 11:01 am
BeH304 BRONZE, Plaquemine, Louisiana
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
The phrase that caught my attention is "Being an meth addict is like taking a pound of flesh because it not only consumes those who use it but also all that is dear to them." The last part of that line "all that is dear to them" makes me realize mostly all addictions come from a lack of attention or love. A person with an addiction finds dangerous comfort from the drug. The drug soon becomes all the addict depends on.      

_Bell_ said...
on Aug. 23 2010 at 3:23 pm
_Bell_, Ukiah, California
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
...

Meth is a really bad drug in my opinion. I have had friends that use that substance. They have told me some wierd stories about what happends when they are on it. They advise me not to consume it, but i stand to wonder why do they give me that advice when they should be the ones to take it into consideration."I would sit in the dark for hours just writing nonsence..." This nonsence goes to everyone one that uses meth, in different ways but still applys to everyone that uses it.

Sarbear GOLD said...
on Mar. 18 2010 at 3:14 pm
Sarbear GOLD, Milan, Ohio
10 articles 4 photos 489 comments

Favorite Quote:
--Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you&#039;re a mile away from them and you have their shoes.<br /> --When life gives you lemons, squirt them in people&#039;s eyes.

i think it is fine. that's great if it sounds like she copied and pasted--means she's a great writer

courtneylynn said...
on Jan. 15 2010 at 7:32 pm
this is really good and informs us about the end results for meth.. i had 2 write a report on drug use and it really got me thinking too

on Dec. 2 2009 at 10:04 pm
lexrex95 BRONZE, Littleton, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
\&quot;The world needs your beautiful light, so shine on!\&quot;

I think that it is very straight and to the point. It gives you the facts, and that is all you need.

on Nov. 29 2009 at 9:10 pm
kaseyparks PLATINUM, Houston, Texas
22 articles 4 photos 19 comments
this is a very well-written! i wrote a story about meth so that's pretty cool. read mine! it's called "magic"

on Nov. 10 2009 at 9:50 pm
ShernayB. DIAMOND, Southfield, Michigan
62 articles 1 photo 881 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Some things will never change&quot;---Tupac

I thought this piece was good, but its lacking substance. The facts are great and thats what your piece seems to be moving around. I think that maybe you should try appealing to the readers' emotions more. Uhmmmm, oh yeah, the conclusion was rather abrupt and could use more development. Otherwise, good job.

on Oct. 19 2009 at 4:54 pm
live.love. BRONZE, Canton, Ohio
3 articles 0 photos 20 comments
very nice article..really opens the eyes of someone who is not aware of drug affects

on Oct. 19 2009 at 11:17 am
Phantom_Girl GOLD, Ft. Carson, Colorado
14 articles 0 photos 279 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If it comes out of the lion&#039;s mouth...it will be on the test.&quot;<br /> -Mr. Bala

Good article, but you need to put more emotion in it. Write more about the person you know who did meth. Otherwise, very good.

on Oct. 19 2009 at 9:00 am
Samantha16 BRONZE, Fairmount, North Dakota
4 articles 2 photos 4 comments
This is a good article but it sounds too much like a research paper. It is a really good article otherwise.

on Sep. 27 2009 at 3:08 pm
tromboneguy42 BRONZE, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Very informative, but lacks pathos. The story about your friend tells me you are very passionate on the subject, but the work doesn't portray that to me.

SydVicious said...
on Dec. 15 2008 at 2:45 am
I thought this was very infomative but it sounds like you're just copying and pasting information from a brochure. I think this article could use a stronger ending statement.

barnes18 said...
on Nov. 3 2008 at 2:02 pm
this was the best that i ever read..tells us about what it is about and how bad it can or is