Methamphetamine can be a lethal, dangerous, and unpredictable drug.
Methamphetamine, like cocaine, is a potent central nervous system stimulant. It can be smoked, snorted, injected, or taken orally; the most frequent method of methamphetamine use is injection.
The drug increases the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and rate of breathing; dilates the pupils; produces euphoria, increased alertness, a sense of increased energy, and tremors.
High doses or chronic use have been associated with increased nervousness, irritability, and paranoia. Withdrawal from high doses produces severe depression.
Drug-related violence usually occurs in one of three ways: by users under the influence of the drug, by users who commit violent acts to obtain money or more of the drug, and by distributors who use violence in the course of conducting their business.
Every community with a methamphetamine abuse problem has experienced violence in some form; most commonly this appears as domestic disputes. The extreme agitation and paranoia associated with use of the stimulant often lead to situations where violence is more likely to occur. Chronic use of methamphetamine can cause delusions and auditory hallucinations that precipitate violent behavior or response.
