Teens are capable of getting easy access to drugs through friends, neighbors and others in their community. Peer pressure and stress can become motivating factors for many teens to try drugs, and if they’re not aware of the consequences, they could potentially place themselves at risk for harmful side effects, overdoses and other health-related issues. Crystal meth in particular is an extremely addictive drug that can cause a lot of consequences. The more we educate ourselves and our teens about crystal meth, the more we can give them the confidence to say “no” – because they’ll know exactly what they’d be getting into, despite what those around them say.
Here are the facts about crystal meth:
- Meth can significantly raise blood pressure, which can cause a person to pass out, have a stroke or heart attack and more – including death.
- Meth causes the brain to produce a lot of dopamine, which is the “feel good” chemical of the brain. Over time, the brain and body remember this feeling and associate it with the crystal meth that was taken – which can quickly add up to dependency and eventually, addiction.
- Meth is also known as crank, chalk, ice, crystal and speed.
- The effects of meth wear off pretty quickly, which means that more doses are often taken in order to reach the same “high”. As you can imagine, these continued doses really have an impact on the brain – and build up the dependency to become even stronger over time.
- If used over a long period of time, a person may contract infectious diseases (such as HIV or hepatitis B/C), they may lose a lot of weight, experience a lot of dental problems, develop skin sores from scratching so much, experience confusion and paranoia, hallucinations and more.
Sometimes teens only think about the perceived benefits of using a drug, but rarely do they consider the consequences. This is where our community needs to step in. If we can educate one another and our teens on the life-threatening effects that drugs can have, our teens may be better equipped to make more informed decisions. We can’t just hope for the best – we have to be actively engaged and making sure that our kids know the serious impact that drugs can have in all aspects of life.
Cumberland Heights is a nonprofit alcohol and drug-addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Cumberland river in Nashville, Tennessee. On a sprawling 177-campus, we are made up of 2 twelve-step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers and 4 sober living homes. We believe that each person has a unique story to tell – and that’s why we always put the patient first.
Call us today at 1-800-646-9998 to take the next step towards your happiness and health.
