BACKGROUND

INFORMATION:
Crystal meth is a very
addictive drug with
terrible side effects which
makes the fact that 1/10
Australians have tried
meth very scary.
You don?t have to have
been using crystal meth
for long before you start
to experience an irregular
heartbeat, disturbed sleep
patterns, nausea and
feeling more aggressive
and irritable, and that is
just a small list.

DIDYOUKNOW?
-

10 -15% of meth
users are dependent
Meth addicts find it
very hard to stop
using because of the
major brain changes
In Australia there are
268,000 regular and
dependent meth
users
In the last 12 months
2.1% of Australians
14 years and older
have used meth
Australians between
14 and 24, on
average, first try
meth at 18.6 years
Ice is the most
common illegal drug
requiring ambulance
attendance in Victoria

CRYSTAL
M ETHAM PHETAM INE
By Abby, Sarah and Turi

Wh at is cr yst al m et h ?
Crystal methamphetamine
(aka, crystal meth, ice,
crank, speed) is a very
addictive, stimulant drug.
This means that the
messages that are
travelling between your
brain and body are sped
up. It can be smoked,
injected, snorted or taken
orally. Whilst you might
feel confident and happy
the first time you try
crystal meth - it
immediately starts to
destroy your body. It is so
addictive that after trying
ice for the first time you
can easily become
dependent and abuse the
drug. It is one of the
hardest drugs to come off.

TAKE ICE AND YOU

ROLL THE DICE
if you ch oose t o t ak e ice, you ar e
r isk in g you r h ealt h an d even you r lif e!

How does m et h af f ect u s

ph ysically?
Meth abuse causes
destruction of tissues and
blood vessels inhibiting the
body?s ability to repair itself.
Its effect on users can make
them look years, even
decades older than they really
are.
The use of meth can cause
meth mouth which is
characterised by broken,
discoloured and rotting teeth.
The drug causes the drying
out of salivary glands which
allow the mouth?s acids to eat
away at tooth enamel. Meth
users often have skin sores as
a result of scratching and
picking to try and remove the
insects that they imagine are
crawling under their skin.
Kidney failure can also occur
after only one dose of meth.
This means that you could be
on dialysis for the rest of your
life.

available for dopamine. This

means that higher amounts
of the drug will be needed to
feel the same high and
because your brain has
changed withdrawal
symptoms will be experienced
if you try to stop using meth.
How does m et h ch an ge ou r
br ain ?
When we use meth, it enters
our bloodstream, travels to
the brain where it invades the
sending neuron. Meth causes
the chemical dopamine to
unnaturally leak to the neuron
and spill into the synapse.
When this happens, meth
blocks the transporters which
recycle dopamine back into
the sending neurons. This
keeps levels abnormally high,
over stimulating our brain and
causing us to feel a powerful
wave of pleasure. The rush
can last 8-12 hours from just
one dose. However, continued
use will result in the brain
making less receptors

Nearly one quarter of regular

meth users will experience a
symptom of psychosis in a
year. Psychosis includes
anxiety, paranoia, delusions,
hallucinations and more.
Psychotic symptoms can last
for months or even years
after the drug use has
stopped.