Crystal Meth is used as a recreational drug for its ability to bring about an euphoric high and heighten the senses. People on Crystal Meth can go days without eating or sleeping. 

Crystal Meth is “cooked” in labs that have sprung up all over the United States. Chemicals and other solvents that can be purchased at hardware stores and drug stores nationwide are components of this dangerously addictive drug.  Crystal Meth labs can be easily detected due to the overwhelming odor of what appears to be cat urine.  Crystal Meth and the toxic by-products that compose this drug can contaminate the air, cause illness and death, and are highly volatile, sometimes exploding without warning. 

There are many other dangers of using Crystal Meth. If the dosage used is too high, the user will experience an increased heart rate and body temperature and may become paranoid, irritated and annoyed or exhibit bizarre behavior. It is also at this time that an overdose may occur. Especially if the drug use is used in combination with other drug or substances such as alcohol.

Addiction is also a very real danger of Crystal Meth. Many users and experts agree that Crystal Meth is extremely addictive.  Some studies have demonstrated that 9 out of 10 Crystal Meth users who inject the drug become addicted after just one use.  Crystal Meth users who smoke the drug take longer to become addicted but eventually resort to injection methods as well to achieve a quicker high.  In addition to its addiction rates, Crystal Meth users also develop a very high tolerance to the drug fairly quickly.  The higher the tolerance, the greater the possibility of addiction. 

It is reported that Crystal Meth users who have a long history of drug abuse slowly burn out their “pleasure senses.”  Biologically speaking, Crystal Meth burns out the system that produces two pleasure senses in the human body—dopamine and norepinephrine.  Both dopamine and norepinephrine are chemicals related to pleasure in the human body.  Once Crystal Meth destructs these chemicals, the body can no longer produce the two stimulants necessary to experience pleasure. This will consequently lead to the user suffering from a horrible bout of depression, which can possibly lead to suicide.  Because Crystal Meth users long to achieve that euphoric high again, the relapse rate for Crystal Meth users is very high.

Users of Crystal Meth also tend to exhibit very risky behavior while they are on the drug.  Most of this risky behavior consists of sexual behavior; the user may engage in sex with multiple partners or may exchange sex for Crystal. This risky sexual behavior can eventually lead to the user contracting a sexually transmitted disease, HIV or unwanted pregnancies.  According to a news report on CBS in July of 2005, many orphanages are now being flooded with these so-called “Meth babies.” Many reports have also indicated that Crystal Meth is becoming extremely popular with women and teenage girls who are trying to lose weight.  Although Crystal Meth will act as an appetite suppressant, many users find themselves losing too much weight too quickly, which can also be extremely dangerous.

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