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Everything old is new again?

Crystal meth is not new. It was big in the 70s and now it is big again. Why should we be concerned?
-Paul

Response from: NICK

Stimulant use does seem to go through cycles and perhaps we (North America) are in a peak of stimulant use at the moment. While it is true that methamphetamine is not a new drug and we have seen many of these issues before, there are some important differences right now.

In the past, people were likely taking ‘just’ methamphetamine; today people are more likely to be taking ‘crystal methamphetamine.’ Crystal is a purer and more potent form of methamphetamine and therefore it has potentially greater health risks.

Another change has been the method of production. Restrictions that have been placed on some of the ingredients over the years have made people figure out new ways to make crystal meth. In the past, most crystal methamphetamine was produced in bigger labs and there was, at some level, some ‘quality control’ on the production. While a lot of crystal meth is still produced this way, the advent of the internet and new methods of production have meant that people now know how make it on their own. But the chemicals used in making crystal meth are highly toxic and often people don't really know what they are doing. Many times some of these toxic ingredients get left behind with the final product and ultimately ingested, creating even more health concerns.

One more thing to note... In the past people were probably swallowing their methamphetamine, with some people injecting. While people still swallow and inject today, many users report snorting or smoking it now. Different methods of ingestion have implications in terms of health risks and potential addiction.