Meth and Death

Methamphetamine has been around since January 18, 1887 when it was first synthesized by German Chemist L. Edeleano and originally named phenylisopropylamine. It was then for the next forty years almost forgotten. Since then, it has been used to treat several medical issues such as congestion, narcolepsy, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

In World War 2, both Amphetamine and Methamphetamine were widely distributed to soldiers to help improve performance. This led to addiction problems in Japan after the war. In the 60's the use of Methamphetamine rises in the United States and then in the 70's, Amphetamine became a Schedule 2 controlled substance with the passage of the "U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act of 1970". This made it illegal to possess without a prescription.

Statistics

Methamphetamine led to 10,447 visits to emergency departments in 1999, down from a peak of 17,665 in 1994.
Methamphetamine contributed to nearly 500 deaths in 1998, the last year for which data are available.
Approximately 8% of high school seniors surveyed in 2000 had used methamphetamine at least once in their lives. An unknown number of teenaged users may have dropped out of school before reaching senior year.
Meth lab seizures have gone up 577% nationally since 1995.
Meth arrests have gone up 300% nationally since 1993.
It costs government an average of $2,000 to clean up a methamphetamine lab.
Methamphetamine's high lasts from 6 to 12 hours, and 50% of the drug is removed from the body in 12 hours. Cocaine's high lasts from 20 to 30 minutes, and 50% of the drug is removed from the body in 1 hour.
Methamphetamine's street value is approximately $3,000 per pound (about the size of a brick), while the price of cocaine is roughly $11,000 per pound.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy determined that every dollar spent on treatment resulted in a $7.46 reduction in lost productivity and crime-related spending. This estimate does not include the costs of providing medical care.