Methamphetamine: The most misunderstood drug?
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What is methamphetamine and why is it controversial?
Hey, it's Jonquilin. This week on Explain It To Me, we're bringing you something from our friends over at Science Versus. Every week, science journalist Wendy Zuckerman separates fact from fiction about everything from narcissists to the pill to 5G. The episode we're sharing with you today is about methamphetamine. So I assumed I knew everything I needed to know about meth from just-say-no-style campaigns, but there's more to meth than meets the eye. And just a heads up, this episode deals with some mature themes. Okay, on to the show.
Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman, and you're listening to Science Versus. Today on the show, methamphetamine. More and more people in the US are trying it, and it's got this reputation as being one of the scariest and most addictive drugs out there. Is that true? I feel like basically every message that we get about meth is that it's this uniquely dangerous drug, almost in a category of its own. Like in this government PSA, you see a normal teenager whose life is ruined by it.
I wish my tire had blown out that night. I wish my cards skidded off the road. I wish I'd broken my neck, but I didn't crash. I drove to that party and I did meth for the first time. I did meth and now this is my life.
And that's the idea, right? That meth is so addictive that if you try it just once at a party, you won't be able to stop. And in the meantime, it'll destroy your life. We hear that meth will rot your gums, make your teeth fall out. I mean, ever heard of meth mouth? And even worse, apparently after using meth, your brain will never be the same again.
Some people, they just lose it. Stop! Research shows that taking methamphetamine, even just a few times, can impair your brain and movement for life.
And I should say that not all meth PSAs went for the scare the hell out of you approach.
I do have to play this bonkers ad that my editor remembers hearing a lot when she grew up in the Midwest.
Look at me, busy as a bee. Where'd I get all this energy? Oh man, mm man.
But even this busy bee, who's frantically cleaning her house with a toothbrush, ends up in bad shape. And if all that wasn't bad enough, watching the news, it seems like we're in a meth epidemic with this super addictive drug only getting more powerful. This month, the New York Times wrote that meth is more dangerous than ever.
We are in the midst of a crisis when it comes to methamphetamine. It's more destructive than any other drug. Law enforcers are starting to see the emergence of super-powered versions of meth. Experts say it's more lethal, and it causes extreme psychosis.
But something here doesn't quite add up. Because, as scientists kept telling me, meth is an FDA-approved drug. Did you know this? In the US, it's used to treat ADHD, and it can be given to people six years and older. Children, we're giving meth to children. So today on the show, is meth really this horrendously bad drug where one hit will get you so addicted it'll ruin your life? What exactly does meth do to our brain and our body? When it comes to meth, there's a lot of... Oh, meth.
Mmm, meth.
And then there's science. Science vs. Meth is coming up just after the break. Welcome back. Today on the show, meth. So right off the bat here, there's this idea that the new meth on the street is like meth on steroids. It's sometimes called super meth and headlines are screaming that it's a monster. It's actually not a new drug. Meth is still meth. But for a while now, it's been produced in a different way. And a big thing is that it's cut with less crap. An analysis of meth samples in the US done by the Drug Enforcement Administration found that in the late 90s, the purity of meth that you'd buy on the street was about 20%. Fast forward more than 20 years. On average, it's almost 97% pure. That is Walter White-level pure.
So now let's find out what meth, just meth, is doing to our brain. And I really wanted to understand just what it felt like to take meth. So I reached out to our listeners who had tried it and had these awesome conversations about the highs and the lows of using meth. So here's how they described what meth can feel like.
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Chapters
2 chaptersSpeakers
13 identified
Wendy Zuckerman 25 min
Anonymous Meth User 5 3 min
Anonymous Meth User 3 2 min
Rose Rimler 1 min
Jennifer Scheer 1 min
Meryl Horn (Senior Producer, PhD) 1 min
Anonymous Meth User 4 1 min
Jonquilin 1 min
Anonymous Male Guest 2
Kate O'Malley
Anonymous Meth User 7
Anonymous Meth User 1
Anonymous Meth User 6