Caroline Anna Joy BadenSWK-1105-G1CCarin Burr30 March 2014History of Crystal Methamphetamine While a wide variety of illegal drugs are currently circulating on the streets, one of the best known is methamphetamine. Most people today know about the drug, but don't understand how it came about. Knowing its history is important, because it can help you better understand how it came about and why so many people use the drug today. Methamphetamine is a stimulant and is extremely addictive and very powerful. Unfortunately, there are many people in various countries around the world who are addicted to this highly harmful drug. It's terribly difficult to recover from a meth addiction, but it's not impossible if you have the right resources, help, and support group. Many people, however, do not seek the help they need, and harmful addiction often leads to overdose, which often leads to death. To make a difference in our communities, or simply to be able to understand what an addict is going through, it is a very wise idea to know the effects and background of methamphetamine. Understanding the drug's past and the effects it has on individuals will help better understand what the user is going through. Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system and makes the user more active, more talkative, euphoric (high), and also causes the user to lose their appetite. Methamphetamine originated in the early 20th century from the drug called amphetamine. Its first uses were as a nasal decongestant and as a bronchial inhaler. Methamphetamine is different from amphetamine in that ... middle of paper ... people who cook must take extreme precautions, such as wearing special suits to protect themselves. 4.7 million Americans (2.1% of the US population) have experienced Alzheimer's at least once in their lives” (Anglin, Burke, Perrochet, Stamper, and Dawud-Noursi 137-141). 4.7 million is a huge number of people who have admitted to trying (or using) methamphetamines, and that's just in one country! That number undoubtedly increases every single day. The general public needs to be informed about this harmful drug, so that they will hopefully have a better idea of ​​how to deal with it if they find themselves coming face to face with methamphetamine. Drugs are a growing problem in our country and many people may see someone suffering from amphetamine addiction, see drug trafficking or come into contact with it.