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Death in the Fast Lane : The
rising popularity and dangers of methamphetamine use among teenagers and
young adults
Not too long
agoósay seventy-five years or so, life was most likely much simpler.
Simpler not in that life was necessarily easier. If anything, life demanded
much greater physical effort from an individual to get less results
than that which modern technology provides cheaply and efficiently.
Simpler rather in that the pace of life was much slower, given the lessened
degree of industrialization, technology, and in general, knowledge.
For the common man, less knowledge meant less choices to make, and things
to worry about. Technologies of mass communication were, in comparison
to those today, extremely primitive and inefficient. Radio was still
in its infancy. Television did not even exist. The modern marvel of
the Internet was beyond imagination. Word-of-mouth, and the printed
page likely established social role models for teenagers and young adults.
Heroes and villians were those depicted in silent films and classical
literature, rather than violent video games. Love and romance were considered
sacred and intimate, and not to be confused with pornography only a
few mouse clicks away at www.sex.com. Cultural values of the time likely
emphasized religion, morality, and the work ethic as being much more
important than fame and fortune. A much smaller and less invasive popular
culture meant a greatly reduced concern for and emphasis on being popular.
In the mind of your average teenager or young adult, "success"
most likely had a very different meaning than it would today.
Today, it seems
we live in a world hellbent on the productivity channeling of the individual
through their socioeconomic robot-mentation. Popular media seems to
now have a massive and invasive influence in our lives and minds. Standards
of "success"are often defined now by materialistic dreams
of fame and fortune. Business and economics are seen as being much more
practical and necessary than religion and philosophy.
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 These
are no doubt times of glamorized, fast-paced lifestyle "standards",
high anxiety, and alienation. As teenagers and young adults are faced
with the pressures of socioeconomic integration, disillusionment and despair
may seem like their only options. They may find it increasingly difficult
to feel good about themselves, and social pressures may compell them to
seek psychological escape routes. One such escape route is the abuse of
a self-increasing ("I feel great when I use it!"), addictive
drug. One such widely abused drug of alarmingly rising popularity among
teenagers and young adults is methamphetamine, known in Thailand as "yah
bah". It has so significantly increased in popularity around the
world that the latest issue (February, 1998) of Rolling Stone magazine
has a cover story on the methamphetamine abuse trend.
 Before
I go into detail about the dangers of "yah bah", I want to make
something very clear. I prefer to speak as a social scientist, and not
a moralist. I do not label drug use as being "good" or "bad".
My point in writing is not to tell people that using methamphetamine,
or any other substance is morally "wrong". I simply think that,
given the increasing popularity of methamphetamine, information concerning
its dangers should be made more available.
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 Methamphetamine
seems to be the "perfect" drug for the glamorized, fast-paced,
popular world of today. If you ever wanted to find a drug which increased
your motivation, methamphetamine would no doubt be your first choice--and
a very dangerous choice.
 Methamphetamine
is a potent form of amphetamine. It is a synthetic, highly
addictive stimulant that
is cheaper and longer lasting than cocaine. Methamphetamine comes in many
forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. The drug
is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that can
be dissolved in water or alcohol. When made in clandestine labs,
it is often in the form of a coarse powder or chunks that are off-white
to yellow. The drug is addictive, and users can escalate quickly to larger
and more frequent doses.
From
"A Primer on Drug Action, 8th Edition" (1998) by Robert M. Julien,
M.D., Ph.D., Page 143 Repeated high doses of methamphetamine are assosciated
with violent behavior and paranoid psychosis. Such doses cause long-lasting
decreases in dopamine and serotonin in the brain. These changes
appear to be irreversible, because the chemical effects can persist
for more than a year after drug administration. This toxic effect
is directed at the neurons that manufacture dopamine and serotonin,
and the biochemical changes do not appear to be expressed in gross
behavioral changes. Permanent neurochemical alterations, however,
may be expressed as alterations in sleep or sexual function, depression,
movement disorders, or schizophrenia.
- From comment added by Michael Fisher. |
Chronic abuse
can lead to violent behavior.
Research has shown that methamphetamine releases high levels of the neurotransmitter
dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, causing enhanced
mood and increased body movement. Studies show that high doses
of methamphetamine damage nerve cells. Research has also shown methamphetamine
to cause rapid degeneration of serotonin fibers
in the brain. Scientists think that methamphetamine abuse over
time may cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can cause symptoms like
those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement disorder.
Even small amounts
of methamphetamine can produce euphoria, enhanced
wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, and increased
respiration. Other central nervous system effects include athetosis
(writhing, jerky, or flailing movements), irritability, insomnia, confusion,
tremors, anxiety, aggression, hyperthermia, and convulsions. Hyperthermia
and convulsions sometimes can result in death. Cardiovascular side effects
include chest pain and hypertension and sometimes can result in cardiovascular
collapse and death. In addition, methamphetamine causes increased heart
rate and blood pressure and sometimes can cause irreversible damage to
blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes. Psychological
symptoms of prolonged methamphetamine abuse can resemble those of schizophrenia
and are characterized by paranoia, hallucinations, repetitive behavior
patterns, and formication (delusions of parasites or insects on the skin).
Methamphetamine-induced paranoia can result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts.
The bottom line is this : methamphetamine ("yah bah")
is extremely dangerous and damaging to your mind and body. You may end
up becoming very addicted to it. It may kill you. It is Death
in the Fast Lane.
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English version
written by: Mr Informinator
See
Thai Version
Design: PuTT
Photographs: Library Publication
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READER'S COMMENT
µéͧ¡Ò÷ÃÒº¢éÍÁÙÅà¡ÕèÂÇ MAGIC PAPER
ÍèÒ¹¾ºã¹Ë¹Ñ§Ê×Í ªÕÇÔµµéͧÊÙé ©ºÑº »Ñ¨¨ØºÑ¹
sthaporn@mozart.co.th
from truppp738.inet.co.th on
Monday, August 31, 1998 at 15:51:29
cool
kalypso
from proxy2.ykt.prodigy.net
on Monday, August 24, 1998 at 03:38:50
From "A Primer on Drug Action,
8th Edition" (1998) by Robert M. Julien, M.D., Ph.D., Page 143 Repeated
high doses of methamphetamine are assosciated with violent behavior
and paranoid psychosis. Such doses cause long-lasting decreases in dopamine
and serotonin in the brain. These changes appear to be irreversible,
because the chemical effects can persist for more than a year after
drug administration. This toxic effect is directed at the neurons that
manufacture dopamine and serotonin, and the biochemical changes do not
appear to be expressed in gross behavioral changes. Permanent neurochemical
alterations, however, may be expressed as alterations in sleep or sexual
function, depression, movement disorders, or schizophrenia.
Michael Fischer/michaelf@innocent.com
from pm155-12.dialip.mich.net
on Sunday, July 05, 1998 at 23:29:57
Dear mr. I or eye. I've used a
fake name as you have definately done too. I'm just commenting on your
brillinant piece of shit I mean work which you have so stupidly written.
Crystal is nothing compared to what it will be in the future. Give North
AmeriKa 5-10 years and the Nuclear war will start. In our back yard.
With labs poping up everywhere. Hopfuly there's one who has been up
without the drama of sleep for at least a week with some epherine and
some camping fuel and some sulphuric acid and etc.... and maybe just
maybe it's his time to meet his fate and or yours.....
4real
from cs228114-a.gvcl1.bc.wave.home.com on Thursday, April 23, 1998 at
15:26:13
If you must experiment with psychoactive
drugs, experiment with psychedelic mushrooms and/or LSD
lsd-trip@mindless.com
from ppp-pm02-dy-22.opr.oakland.edu
on Friday, March 27, 1998 at 22:55:53
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