Health
BY CHRISTABEL EJENIKE
MANY Nigerians are worried of the effects of Methamphetamine on Nigerian youths. Methamphetamine also known as meth or crystal meth is a potent central nervous system, CNS, stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug. It is a highly addictive stimulant that is artificially made in laboratories. Meth is also called “ice” or “glass” because it is white in colour, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
According to Halifax-based physician Naveen Gupta, methamphetamine is like “a ticking time bomb that can go unnoticed from both the abuser and the healthcare professionals”.
Crystal methamphetamine is addictive and a one-time user can get addicted almost immediately and it is accessibility. It can be easily accessed by anybody, especially, teenagers and it is also not expensive. Meth can be bought locally for N2000 or N2500.
According to the experience of some of the users, meth gives the user “a sudden gush of breezy, cheerful or heaven-like feeling” and this is because it causes the body to release excessive amount of dopamine to the brain. This breezy feeling is only temporary and after the effect of the dopamine recedes or fades away, the user experiences an extreme feeling of anxiety, fatigue paranoia, loss of appetite, depression; this effect is called the “binge and crash” effect and it causes the user to want more of it so as to experience the “binge”, “breezy” feeling and over time the body develops a tolerance for meth without the knowledge of the user and it pushes the user to take more of it to achieve the same effect.
The abuse of methamphetamine in the country calls for a national emergency on the abuse of the drug and its ravaging effects on youth. According to medical experts, meth has a series of side effects and can easily lead to death. “Yes, meth kills its users, one expert said. He explained that asides from death, “meth destroys its users physically, mentally, health wise, and even the user’s professional and personal life”.
He warned that continuous use of meth affects the heart, lungs, kidney and it can lead to increased body temperature, increased blood pressure, Hemorrhage or vasospasm in the brain, skin damage due to extreme itching it causes which leads to sores, increased/quick tooth decay commonly known as “meth mouth”, decreased sex drive from continuous use, increased rate of contracting HIV/AIDS and other STDs. He added that the use of meth causes changes in the brain that lower impulse control and damage cognitive ability.
The abuse of meth can be controlled. Since it is unnoticed by the user and healthcare personnel, Gupta Naveen stated that attention should be paid to the behavior of people around you and keep a keen eye for loved ones to detect any unusual sudden change in their behavior, especially teenagers and early adults. He advised parents to let their wards know that there are other ways of fighting depression and having a good time instead of resorting to drugs or other substances. For Naveen, persons who are addicted to the drug should be offered medical assistance or reported to the authority for necessary assistance.
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