Two of the
infamous 'Faces
of Meth' pictures from the Partnership for
a Drug-Free America.
Undoubtedly prolonged and regular use of any drug
can have serious health effects.
Whether
the effects commonly attributed to
Methamphetamine, and particularly to smokeable
Crystal Meth, such as those shown here are due to
the drug itself or to the lifestyle are open to
question.
Long-term methamphetamine use has many potentially
negative consequences, including: extreme weight
loss (through long term loss of appetite and
generally poor nutrition); dental problems (whether
this is through poor dental hygiene or a sided
effect of the drug itself is open to question);
agitation through over-stimulation (tweaking);
insomnia, mood disturbances, and possibly an
increase in violent behaviour.
Chronic methamphetamine users can also display a
number of psychotic features, including paranoia,
visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions
(for example, the sensation of insects creeping
under the skin). Again how much of this is due to
the effects of the drug and how much to chronic
insomnia is debateable.
There are also concerns about the effects of
methamphetamine on the transmission and progression
of sexually transmitted and blood-borne viruses.
Among meth users who inject the drug, HIV, Hep B and
Hep C and other infectious diseases can be spread
through contaminated needles, syringes, and other
injection equipment that is used by more than one
person. The effects of methamphetamine, can also
alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to
engage in unsafe sexual practices. Methamphetamine
use may also worsen the progression of HIV and its
consequences. Studies of methamphetamine abusers who
are HIV positive indicate that the HIV causes
greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment
compared with HIV-positive people who do not use the
drug.
