Methamphetamine: It's history, impact on the environment, your health and Society in the Unites States.

Essay by Cptn_SargosHigh School, 12th gradeA+, March 2005

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What is Methamphetamine? What are it's ingredients and it's effects on people? What is this drug's history?

Methamphetamine is a very powerful stimulant drug. People make produce and distribute Methamphetamine illegally all over the US. It

Strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Side effects include nervousness, insomnia, nausea, hot flashes, sweating, anxiety and paranoia. Methamphetamine has many nicknames, too. It is known as "speed" or "crystal" when it is ingested or sniffed; it's known as "crank" when it is injected; and "ice" or "glass" when it is used by smoking. Methamphetamine is produced in "Meth labs," which are also illegal. The main ingredients in meth include Alcohol, Paint Thinner, Chloroform, Camp Stove Fuel, Starting Fluid, Gasoline, Phenyl-2-Propane, Iodine Crystals, Drano, Battery Acid, Batteries, and Cold Tablets.

Methamphetamine was discovered in Japan in 1919. The crystalline powder was soluble in water, making it a perfect candidate for injection.

In the 1930's, amphetamine (an ingredient to Methamphetamine) was marketed as Benzedrine in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal congestion (for asthmatics, hay fever sufferers, and people with colds). By 1937, amphetamines were available by prescription in tablet form.

During World War II, amphetamines were commonly used to help the American Soldiers during the Vietnam War. The Soldiers would use the drug to fight fatigue and enhance performance in combat. American soldiers also used more amphetamines than the rest of the world did during WWII. In Japan, Methamphetamine abuse skyrocketed immediately after World War II, when Methamphetamine became open to the public.

The United States in the 1950s legally manufactured tablets of Methamphetamine. College students, truck drivers, and athletes mostly used them. Amphetamines became a cure-all for such things as weight control and treating mild depression. Over the years, Methamphetamine would become more popular, and more abused. Abuse went drastically...