Methamphetamine Myths

Methamphetamine Myths

Sometimes the right information can turn on some lights. Read this carefully, it may just brighten you.

As methamphetamine continues to spread across the U.S., the crystalline powder attracts new users in new areas. Various myths about meth may have helped alert the community to the problem and have even prompted Governmental action. Regardless, these myths have also misled uncountable Americans, including various law enforcement and substance abuse professionals. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This takes us to Meth Myth #1: Methamphetamine is the nation's number one drug issue.

It is true there may be places where police, courts, child protective and emplacement agencies, drug programs, and hospitals see more meth-related cases than for any other drug. For them, this may be their dominating drug problem on a stated day. Usually that would be my conclusion, too. But national figures put this into perspective. Three years ago, methamphetamine admissions to community treatment programs ranked just 6th at 7.7 percent of such admissions. (Alcohol led with 23 .2 percent, followed by alcohol plus another drug at 18 .7 percent,).[1] Two years ago, a little over half a million Americans aged 12 years and older reported meth use in the previous month. They were in the group of 19 .2 million past-month users of illicit drugs. At the same time about half of Americans 12 and older are current alcohol drinkers. [[2]]

Myth #2: Methamphetamine use is prospering among teens.

Meth use may be increasing among some teen subgroups (e.g. gay youth; agricultural youth) . Nationally, however, use among 12- to 17-year-olds has actually declined as the standard age of first use has risen to 22 .1 years of age.[3] Use has decreased among high school students as well, although one researcher observed that "it's possible that use is increasing among high school dropouts, who are not captured in the survey, and among young adults."[4] Federal data for 2002, 2003, and 2004 show the prevalence of past-year meth use among 12- to 17-year-olds at 0.7 percent.[5]

Myth #3: Even one-time meth use leads to addiction. Experts approximate that it takes from 2 to 5 years to establish methamphetamine addiction, but concede reports of meth addiction occurring in less than one year of habitual use.[6] Addiction is by and large the outcome of chronic use, leading to increased tolerance, higher and more frequent dosages, and changes in ingestion methods.[7] The extreme euphoria meth users report may leave many who did not plan to proceed using the drug eager to repeat the experience.

Myth #4: Babies born to meth-using women suffer grave, lingering problems. Some corroboration indicates that meth use during pregnancy may result in some birth abnormalities or learning disabilities.[8] Even so, knowledge about the effects of prenatal exposure to meth remains minimal. Women planning for motherhood should refrain from all forms of substance abuse, but incendiary, stigmatizing phraseology like "meth babies" and "ice babies" should also be rejected.[9]

Myth #5: Methamphetamine is a major threat to children. Children in the care of adults who make, use or sell methamphetamine are at risk for being neglected or abused; their presence where the drug is being made puts them in harm's way. But not all meth-involved adults neglect or abuse their children and most users do not make the drug themselves. Far more children are at peril because they live in households where there is alcoholism. In 2003, an estimated 1,300 U.S. meth lab incidents involved a child being exposed to poisonous chemicals, and 724 children were removed from such sites.[10] But during the identical span "more than 6 million children lived with at least 1 parent who misused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug." [11]

Myth #6: Methamphetamine addicts do not react to treatment. Many states report meth treatment success rates ranging from 60 to nearly 90 percent:[12] Among Iowa's publicly funded programs, 65 .5 percent of meth clients were good 6 months after discharge.[13] The Matrix Model, now marketed by the Hazelden Foundation, and based on earlier cocaine treatment models, has also reported high rates of success in treating meth addiction.[14] In San Diego, The Stepping Stone, serving gay people, instituted a Sexual Behavior Relapse Prevention pilot program to broaden patient retention, decrease client recidivism, and curtail HIV-infection from drug- or sex-linked relapse. At 6-month and 1-year follow-ups, noteworthy improvement on all three measures was reported for meth clients on the pilot-study track.

As it has been noted, methamphetamine is a hideous drug. The price for the exceptional euphoria it can create can be even more extraordinary for those who use it. It's manufacture and trafficking bring violence and environmental devastation and produce great risks for anyone who happens to be close at hand. At the same time, meth myths and misinformation help only to misdirect inadequate resources and muddle efforts to recognize and respond to authentic methamphetamine problems.

Hopefully you have found this article interesting at least, and possibly even helpful. Just maybe you were able to get something out of it. Thanks for taking the time to read it.


[1] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. 2003 Treatment Episode Data Set. As referenced by NIDA. March 2005. InfoFacts: Treatment Trends.

[2] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. Updated October 2, 2005. NSDUH 2004. Appendix H, Selected Prevalence Tables, Table H.3—Types of Illicit Drug Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month Among Persons Aged 12 to 17: Percentages, 2002–2004.

[3] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004: Highlights. http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/meth/meth.cfm

[4] Johnston, L.D.; O’Malley, P.M.; Bachman, J.G.; Schulenberg, J.E. December 19, 2005. Teen drug use down, but progress halts among youngest teens. University of Michigan News and Information Services: Ann Arbor, MI.

[5] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. September 16, 2005. The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004, In Brief.

[6] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. 1999. Treatment Improvement Protocols: TIP 33: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders, Chapter 2.

[7] National Institute on Drug Abuse. April 1998, Reprinted January 2002. Research Report Series: Methamphetamine Abuse and Addiction.

[8] Volkow, Nora, M.D., Director, NIDA. April 21, 2005. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services; Education; and Related Agencies. Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate.

[9] Lewis, D., M.D., Brown University. July 25, 2005. Meth Science, Not Stigma: Open Letter to the Media. Join Together Online.

[10] Office of National Drug Control Policy. February 6, 2004. "Fighting Methamphetamine in the Heartland: How Can the Federal Government Assist State and Local Efforts?"

[11] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. June 2, 2003. The NSDUH Report: Children Living With Substance-Abusing or Substance-Dependent Parents.

[12] National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. May 2005. Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine.

[13] The Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. September 2004. Outcome Monitoring System: Iowa Project: Year Six Report.

[14] Hazelden Foundation. The Matrix Model Family of Products.