First and foremost, methamphetamine is a very serious problem that causes tremendous headaches not only for families who have been affected by drug addiction but to the lawmakers as well.  Quick facts about the use of methamphetamine are that it kills by causing serious diseases that involves vital body organs such as heart and brain, women are more likely to use methamphetamine than cocaine, methamphetamine addicts are the hardest to cure, produced methamphetamine leaves toxic waste that damaged streams and sewage systems and the serious one is that it can cause paranoia.  The three articles will discuss the initiatives made by the some United States legislators to eradicate the rampaging use of methamphetamine and the findings of some doctors of the adverse effects and consequences of methamphetamine addiction.  The subject interviewed for this report is one of the inmates in a drug rehabilitation institute of Los Angeles.  For the purposes of confidentiality, the name of the person interviewed will be withheld rather a fictional name was given, he is the person whom we would call Edgar.


Many experts contend that the now popular use of methamphetamine begun as a biker gang’s drug choice in the Southwest.  Although currently, it is evident that methamphetamine is a known drugs all over the world.  Seemingly, addictions now exist at all levels of society.   In 2005, legislators have focused on reducing the access of methamphetamine by proposing to contain drugs that have a pseudo ephedrine ingredient in the pharmacy.  However, the stiff proposal of requiring pharmacist to report any transaction involving pseudo ephedrine by Representative Bob Ring to the Senate was a failure.  On the contrary, the executive director of Law Enforcement against Prohibition worries that the prohibition of the purchase of pseudo ephedrine may be reinforcing. 


In the advent that the media was quick to report suggesting that prenatal exposure to methamphetamine caused serious defects in children, human studies has predicted formidable consequences.  Due to this awareness, the Americans expressed resentment to mothers who uses methamphetamine during pregnancy.  Without a benefit of a doubt, mothers were readily judged rather be offered with treatment and support.  To end the media’s speculations and claims, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services concluded that there is irrelevance in the findings of the serious effect of exposure to methamphetamine between the animal study and humans because there is no such thing that mothers directly inject the methamphetamine into the peritoneum.


In an experiment by Californian researchers, they found out that brain chemical levels of a normal person from a formerly drug users, that concentrations of the N-acetyl-aspartate were reduced by five percent.  This indication connotes neuronal damage or loss.  It is of interest why drug addicts in spite of the very serious adverse effects seem to not have the effort of quitting the use of any drugs.



The most important thing that any interviewer learned when interviewing a drug addict is that how hard it is to put a halt in drug addiction.  Methamphetamine adverse effects is so pervasive that it would really take tons of determination and loaded commitment for methamphetamine addicts for them to be able to put an end in the use of it.  As a person, the need to empathize is important so that one is able to open his or her mind for a deeper understanding of the needs of a methamphetamine addict.  Methamphetamine addicts needs immediate attention and care so that they will still have a chance to make better out of their lives.


The comparison drawn from the insights gained from the readings and interview is very comparable and similar from the conclusions that are anticipated.  The problem of methamphetamine use is a very tough task to deal with.  Despite the efforts of the government, the impediments are still to the greater extent.  According to Senator Jackie Speir of California, 85 percent of methamphetamine has been manufactured in California.  Methamphetamine labs have been cleaned up yet the problem does not seem to be eradicated.  Questions have been raised as to what is the right thing to do to solve the unending problem of methamphetamine, whether to prohibit or monitor the selling of pseudo ephedrine, as one of the ingredients in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.  “Our experience with every kind of drug has been that when you prohibit it or restrict access to it, you only push it more into the hands of the criminals,” says Jack Cole.  Conversely, say Carol Falkowski, “You can try to restrict access to ingredients and shut down as many methamphetamine labs as you can, but you are still going to have a methamphetamine problem until you emphasize treatment.”  The medical institutions somehow lack efforts in promoting awareness to the public of the different adverse effects of methamphetamine addiction.  As an institution of knowledge, their opinions and findings would be of great help since they have the reputation of being the specialist in the field.  As they say, prevention is better than cure.  The promotion of awareness about the abuse of methamphetamine will alarm the people at the same time can shed hope for the drug addicts that it is still not too late to get methamphetamine out in their system.


In contrast from the insights from the readings, the problem of the spread of methamphetamine is not a one solution based situation.  The dilemma will continue to be an endless puzzle not only for the legislators to solve but for the big community as well.  Jim Atkins, a former methamphetamine addict, agrees with the Hazelden Foundation, “Addiction has been around for a long time and it is going to continue. But lawmakers can take an important step forward in this battle if they focus on everything at once.” The need for cooperation of everybody and the need to get involved by the community rather than the community prosecuting the addicts would contribute to gradually solve the mystery that unravels the continuing problems of methamphetamine use.  As quoted by Jim Atkins, these kinds of addictions bring with them many problems but unfortunately they can rarely be solved with only one solution.”


            To further extend the knowledge learned from this project, the need to dig deep about the key issues can be of help.  Perhaps, interviewing more drug addicts to explore their real sentiments since only few cared to hear them out.  Instead of just reading articles about the effects and the persistent problem of methamphetamine, the realization to get involved in the actual programs being set by the government is imperative.  The biggest challenge would be to volunteer in a drug rehabilitation institute to give you clear and more precise picture of the real world suffered by drug addicts.





Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


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