The Escalation of Meth Use in America with Deadly Consequences

LAREDO, Texas - Nov. 1, 2018 - PRLog -- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently reported that methamphetamine use and seizures have gone up over nine times during the last eight years.

The agency announced last month that 81,690 pounds of meth were confiscated this year, with a majority occurring at the border. In 2010, there only 8,865 pounds confiscated.

This week, the agency collected about 47 pounds of meth, which was estimated to be more than $1.7 million, at a port in Texas.

Meth use and distribution have also been major issues in Springfield, Missouri. Police officials recently stated that meth is one of the biggest threats to their livelihood and that more than 33,000 grams of meth were confiscated in Springfield in 2017.

What is Meth?

Meth is a stimulant that is usually consumed as either a pill or a powder. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of the drug that looks like shards of glass.

When a person consumes the drug, they feel an quick high followed by a sudden drop. This often causes people to take the substance several times over a short period of time. Excessive meth use can harm a person's eating and sleeping patterns.

Kayleigh Mengel, a health educator and team leader at the Center for Community Health Advancement at the Marshfield Clinic Health System, organizes the in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She described the negative effects meth can have on a person.

"Meth can significantly affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine, which can lead to addiction and can affect thinking, motor skills and cause memory loss. It also tears families apart and impacts communities."

https://www.drugaddictionnow.com/2018/11/01/the-escalatio...