METH, not even once

[FloydV]

I sent this to a group of people who wouldn't know a Hayabusa from a lawn mower. I think it is still important to others, though.

Surely everyone in Idaho has seen this refrain: METH, not even once. Trouble is, most of the time you can't even see the not even once. What you do see is a parade of posters and T shirts that say (white on black background) METH.

This is where "people who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it," comes into play. There was a similar ad campaign in the seventies. Some of you might even remember it. It had the bold "SPEED KILLS" logo. Problem is, speed (methamphetamine) rarely ever, ever kills anyone who is young and healthy. Cocaine, considered a proto-type drug to amphetamine (not methamphetamine, a more refined amphetamine) will however induce heart arrhythmias that can cause sudden death.

Here is the point. In the seventies, young people looked around and said to themselves "I've never seen anyone die from methamphetamine, and I know lots of people my own age who use it." Then they thought: If the establishment will lie about something this big, then probably they are lying about all the rest of it. The SPEED KILLS logo quickly disappeared after a hard learned lesson. Young people may be naive, but they can still smell bullshit.

Now everywhere I look I see (white on black) METH. The message is: methamphetamine is powerful! The signs are everywhere! There is an old Hollywood axiom that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Drug dealers must be in awe. How much money would it take to advertise there product in such a way--and it's free!

There are definitely drawbacks to using amphetamines. Users tend to stay up for 3 to 5 days at a time. When they finally "crash," they may sleep for 2 to 3 days. I have a book from Consumer Reports titled Licit and Illicit Drugs, which will go into more detail about a lot of drug mis-information. Anyway, "speed freaks" don't sleep any less than you, they just distribute the sleep differently. That causes a real problem. If you can't work for 2 or 3 days, you can't hold a job. If you are jittery, worn out, and can't concentrate because you have been up for 4 days--you can't hold a job. If you can't hold a job? You steal or sell drugs. Therein lies the problem.

But plastering the word METH everywhere is the dumbest thing I've seen since the 70s.

 

[motogp08]

Meth has GOT to be the most EVIL drug i've ever heard of...but you're right, they're not going about the advertising correctly.

 

[Scar]

Tragic.

 

[Bird Hunter]

Tragic.

 

[Mrs.Rubber2Burn]

Meth is downright evil & you ought to see the teeth of people who have been chronic meth users for awhile....AWFUL!!

 

[WWJD]

is this our controversial drug topic? all recreational drugs are pointless. even alcohol. it is just trying to fill a void with something that feels good, rather than work to find out what is really missing in life. there are SO MANY other things that you can do instead of drugs. just walk through the magazine isle at Barnes and Nobles and pick out about 5 new hobbies that are interesting to you.

I suppose buy getting the word out about Meth, it will get people to KNOW about it, and maybe avoid it when they come across it knowing how damaging it is?

 

[Ranger]

I heard its a great way to lose weight!

 

[99'busa]

down with meth up with my posts please

 

[motogp08]

down with meth up with my posts please

YYYYOOOOUUUUUU WWWWWIIIIIIISSSSSHHHHHHH...

 

[CTA_Busa_LE]

I've seen the effects and aftermath of Meth. Especially the problems that occur when people decide to manufacture their own. Not a pretty drug to get hooked on. And as far as meth not killing younger users. I'll agree it may be rare and not in the same way as heroin or cocaine but it does happen.

And it is hard on teeth, no doubt about that. Causes a syndrom which we call summer teeth. Sum are here, sum are missing, sum are yellow, sum are brown, well you get the picture.

 

[FloydV]

I heard its a great way to lose weight!

There is a difference between thin and pretty!

 

[ditchdr]

Folks, many of whom I have never so much have talked ot out side of here, I am telling you something that untill now only my closest friends and family knew. And this is the reason for my anixety issues in the past as well as some of my other troubles..

I was a meth head.. and it almost killed me.. When I was in college I worked 2 jobs and went to school full time.. I was 18 19 years old living on my own. I would get up at 5am go to school till noon then work for a local Honda dealership till 5pm.. From 5:30 till 1 I would deliver pizza at night.. Get home and study till 3 or 4.. I did al this to keep top notch grades and prove ot my self and everyone else This went on for a month no sleep tired all the time, weekends came I was in bed..

Then I found this nifty drug called meth.. Whats that you say, stay awake for days on end, cheap, makes you a little crakny but thats about it? Heck where do I sign up.. So that started my trip down a road to near death.. At first it was simple, little bump here little bump there and i was good.. But like everythign else a little was just not enough. Before I knew it was was staying up for weeks at a time. I had the highest grades in class, worked extra had at the Honda store, and was running circles around everyone at work. When the weekend came it was party time. No need for sleep I had my white devil to keep that from happening..

Then one night after my final exam I was leaving my mothers house after a nice dinner.. before i left i had told my mom I "just dont feel right". She said I was just tired and needed sleep. about half way home I started to feel a little winded.. I pulled over sat in my car on the side of HWY 78, right infront of the hosptial.. If I was smart i would have driven to the ER, but no not Mr I am Superman here.. I felt a little better and drove on toward the house.. About 5 more miles down the road I feel like I have a house sititng on me.. I pull over at a pay phone ( did not have a mobile) call my g/f and tell her whats going on. She is a nursing student and is pretty sharp, she tells me ot hang up the phone and call 911 right away. So i do, after all in my eyes she was the Dr of the family. I start to walk over to my car when I get bad tunnel vision and pass out... I do not remember anything after that.

But here is what the police officer who happend ot be there told me..

Once i hit the ground I started ot have a seizure then I stopped breathing. Lucky for me he use to be a EMT and had a medic bag in his car. He forced air into my lungs via BVM untill EMS arrived. I had a tube placed in my throat and was put on a vent and stayed in the ICU for a week.

The Dr's tell me I was with in seconds of loosing my life. Little did I know my g/f Jennifer had known all along what i was doing, I tohught I kept it hidden. But like i said she is no idiot. She tells the Dr's whats going on with me and I am put in rehab. Once released I took my state boards for Paramedic, and we did a little math. I had not slept for 35 days straight before that night. My body shuttign its slef down was its way of forcing me to rest.


Gues I was gonna rest when I needed to or my body was gonna kill me to rest.. Either way Meth is a hell of a drug, and is very very very dangerous drug that will kill you no if ands or butts..


On a side note I did not loose a single tooth, but I did look like a bean pole.

 

[motogp08]

Sorry to hear about your story, we're just thankful you're still with us.

 

[FloydV]

Folks, many of whom I have never so much have talked ot out side of here, I am telling you something that untill now only my closest friends and family knew. And this is the reason for my anixety issues in the past as well as some of my other troubles..

I was a meth head.. and it almost killed me.. When I was in college I worked 2 jobs and went to school full time.. I was 18 19 years old living on my own. I would get up at 5am go to school till noon then work for a local Honda dealership till 5pm.. From 5:30 till 1 I would deliver pizza at night.. Get home and study till 3 or 4.. I did al this to keep top notch grades and prove ot my self and everyone else This went on for a month no sleep tired all the time, weekends came I was in bed..

Then I found this nifty drug called meth.. Whats that you say, stay awake for days on end, cheap, makes you a little crakny but thats about it? Heck where do I sign up.. So that started my trip down a road to near death.. At first it was simple, little bump here little bump there and i was good.. But like everythign else a little was just not enough. Before I knew it was was staying up for weeks at a time. I had the highest grades in class, worked extra had at the Honda store, and was running circles around everyone at work. When the weekend came it was party time. No need for sleep I had my white devil to keep that from happening..

Then one night after my final exam I was leaving my mothers house after a nice dinner.. before i left i had told my mom I "just dont feel right". She said I was just tired and needed sleep. about half way home I started to feel a little winded.. I pulled over sat in my car on the side of HWY 78, right infront of the hosptial.. If I was smart i would have driven to the ER, but no not Mr I am Superman here.. I felt a little better and drove on toward the house.. About 5 more miles down the road I feel like I have a house sititng on me.. I pull over at a pay phone ( did not have a mobile) call my g/f and tell her whats going on. She is a nursing student and is pretty sharp, she tells me ot hang up the phone and call 911 right away. So i do, after all in my eyes she was the Dr of the family. I start to walk over to my car when I get bad tunnel vision and pass out... I do not remember anything after that.

But here is what the police officer who happend ot be there told me..

Once i hit the ground I started ot have a seizure then I stopped breathing. Lucky for me he use to be a EMT and had a medic bag in his car. He forced air into my lungs via BVM untill EMS arrived. I had a tube placed in my throat and was put on a vent and stayed in the ICU for a week.

The Dr's tell me I was with in seconds of loosing my life. Little did I know my g/f Jennifer had known all along what i was doing, I tohught I kept it hidden. But like i said she is no idiot. She tells the Dr's whats going on with me and I am put in rehab. Once released I took my state boards for Paramedic, and we did a little math. I had not slept for 35 days straight before that night. My body shuttign its slef down was its way of forcing me to rest.


Gues I was gonna rest when I needed to or my body was gonna kill me to rest.. Either way Meth is a hell of a drug, and is very very very dangerous drug that will kill you no if ands or butts..


On a side note I did not loose a single tooth, but I did look like a bean pole.

I liked your story. Brave of you to say.

Meth doesn't cause tooth problems. It is the lack of attention to personal hygiene and no money to spend on dental care when it all goes to drugs.

There is an interesting effect that occurs to people who are still "up" but have been that way too long. They fall asleep in slices. An example would be when a person is writing something, and while he is thinking, drops his pencil. For that second or two he fell asleep. The same thing can happen behind the wheel. I like burning my candle at both ends, but it never comes cheap.

 

[ks-waterbug]

Tooth lose/decay comes from the chemicals used to cut/make crystal meth.....

Sad it makes me when I hear of folks yolked to this demon. Glad you got the treatment you needed and I know the battle is not yet won as you'll have a lifetime of battling this addiction. Kuddos as well for coming forward and sharing your experience. As a former LEO I can tell you first hand this and other drugs can sink there claws deep into the folks who chose this path. Not generally a pretty site watching someone rot away from the inside out both physically and mentally...

 

[Spudley]

My goodness, quite the topic, and quite the information also, especially the disclosure.....I have to say, if there's a drug that warps the mind, body, spirit, and soul of the paticipant (values, ideals, morals, convictions, psyche, emotions) ...it IS...Methamphetamine....the addiction becomes "so" embedded that "NOTHING" else matters....literally, n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Marijuana, Alcohol, both depressants and unless you're an addict or an alcoholic, not a big deal. Cocaine, stimulant and unless you're an addict, not a big deal. Methamphetamine.....something way beyond.....the recovery rate is staggering low, because the efforts to release, learn new, cope, re-educate, and remain determined are undermined by the dependent psychology, biology, and physiology of the afflicted.... It's a fight daily, for a LONG, LONG, LONG time for those that get the shot at recovery...... It just doesn't go away.....for many, relapse is common....sad.

 

[Mrs.Rubber2Burn]

Folks, many of whom I have never so much have talked ot out side of here, I am telling you something that untill now only my closest friends and family knew. And this is the reason for my anixety issues in the past as well as some of my other troubles..

 I was a meth head.. and it almost killed me.. When I was in college I worked 2 jobs and went to school full time.. I was 18 19 years old living on my own. I would get up at 5am go to school till noon then work for a local Honda dealership till 5pm.. From 5:30 till 1 I would deliver pizza at night.. Get home and study till 3 or 4.. I did al this to keep top notch grades and prove ot my self and everyone else This went on for a month no sleep tired all the time, weekends came I was in bed..

Then I found this nifty drug called meth.. Whats that you say, stay awake for days on end, cheap, makes you a little crakny  but thats about it? Heck where do I sign up..  So that started my trip down a road to near death.. At first it was simple, little bump here little bump there and i was good.. But like everythign else a little was just not enough. Before I knew it was was staying up for weeks at a time. I had the highest grades in class, worked extra had at the Honda store, and was running circles around everyone at work. When the weekend came it was party time. No need for sleep I had my white devil to keep that from happening..

 Then one night after my final exam I was leaving my mothers house after a nice dinner.. before i left i had told my mom I "just dont feel right". She said I was just tired and needed sleep. about half way home I started to feel a little winded.. I pulled over sat in my car on the side of HWY 78, right infront of the hosptial.. If I was smart i would have driven to the ER, but no not Mr I am Superman here.. I felt a little better and drove on toward the house.. About 5 more miles down the road I feel like I have a house sititng on me.. I pull over at a pay phone ( did not have a mobile) call my g/f and tell her whats going on. She is a nursing student and is pretty sharp, she tells me ot hang up the phone and call 911 right away. So i do, after all in my eyes she was the Dr of the family. I start to walk over to my car when I get bad tunnel vision and pass out... I do not remember anything after that.

But here is what the police officer who happend ot be there told me..

Once i hit the ground I started ot have a seizure then I stopped breathing. Lucky for me he use to be a EMT and had a medic bag in his car. He forced air into my lungs via BVM untill EMS arrived. I had a tube placed in my throat and was put on a vent and stayed in the ICU for a week.

 The Dr's tell me I was with in seconds of loosing my life. Little did I know my g/f Jennifer had known all along what i was doing, I tohught I kept it hidden. But like i said she is no idiot. She tells the Dr's whats going on with me and I am put in rehab. Once released I took my state boards for Paramedic, and we did a little math. I had not slept for 35 days straight before that night. My body shuttign its slef down was its way of forcing me to rest.


 Gues I was gonna rest when I needed to or my body was gonna kill me to  rest.. Either way Meth is a hell of a drug, and is very very very dangerous drug that will kill you no if ands or butts..


 On a side note I did not loose a single tooth, but I did look like a bean pole.

Hey ditchdr...I am a recovering addict as well....Yeah for N.A.!!

I can not believe that I am actually saying this out in public, I usually do not discuss it out of embarrassment for me and my family. This past January my life bottomed out.  I was so low, that I had to look up to see rock bottom.

I never did the "street drugs", my education is from other addicts.  I got mine by RX from the "pain management" doctor. I have a form of rheum. arthitis, so the scripts would flow like water.  Of course it all spiraled WAY OUT OF CONTROL!

I almost died myself!  I spent from Jan 18th to Feb 11th of this year in the hospital!  I was in I.C.U. for six days and never really knew it.  I was so messed up that I did not realize I had a KIDNEY STONE stuck in my system.  That stone caused bloodborne e. coli which sent me into septic shock, sepsis.  I literally had to go to physical therapy to re-learn to walk from the weaknes.

It is so funny to think this was a few short months ago, I will have my six months clean Aug. 24th of this year.  I am now back to holding a normal job and living a normal life.

It just goes to show you that addicts are NOT just the crack ho's on the street corner.  They can be anyone.  I my case the lady who sits next to you in church, or your co-worker in an office job responsible for the company's Human Resources.

Edit: for my spelling and grammar.

 

[GoldenChild]

Folks, many of whom I have never so much have talked ot out side of here, I am telling you something that untill now only my closest friends and family knew. And this is the reason for my anixety issues in the past as well as some of my other troubles..

 I was a meth head.. and it almost killed me.. When I was in college I worked 2 jobs and went to school full time.. I was 18 19 years old living on my own. I would get up at 5am go to school till noon then work for a local Honda dealership till 5pm.. From 5:30 till 1 I would deliver pizza at night.. Get home and study till 3 or 4.. I did al this to keep top notch grades and prove ot my self and everyone else This went on for a month no sleep tired all the time, weekends came I was in bed..

Then I found this nifty drug called meth.. Whats that you say, stay awake for days on end, cheap, makes you a little crakny  but thats about it? Heck where do I sign up..  So that started my trip down a road to near death.. At first it was simple, little bump here little bump there and i was good.. But like everythign else a little was just not enough. Before I knew it was was staying up for weeks at a time. I had the highest grades in class, worked extra had at the Honda store, and was running circles around everyone at work. When the weekend came it was party time. No need for sleep I had my white devil to keep that from happening..

 Then one night after my final exam I was leaving my mothers house after a nice dinner.. before i left i had told my mom I "just dont feel right". She said I was just tired and needed sleep. about half way home I started to feel a little winded.. I pulled over sat in my car on the side of HWY 78, right infront of the hosptial.. If I was smart i would have driven to the ER, but no not Mr I am Superman here.. I felt a little better and drove on toward the house.. About 5 more miles down the road I feel like I have a house sititng on me.. I pull over at a pay phone ( did not have a mobile) call my g/f and tell her whats going on. She is a nursing student and is pretty sharp, she tells me ot hang up the phone and call 911 right away. So i do, after all in my eyes she was the Dr of the family. I start to walk over to my car when I get bad tunnel vision and pass out... I do not remember anything after that.

But here is what the police officer who happend ot be there told me..

Once i hit the ground I started ot have a seizure then I stopped breathing. Lucky for me he use to be a EMT and had a medic bag in his car. He forced air into my lungs via BVM untill EMS arrived. I had a tube placed in my throat and was put on a vent and stayed in the ICU for a week.

 The Dr's tell me I was with in seconds of loosing my life. Little did I know my g/f Jennifer had known all along what i was doing, I tohught I kept it hidden. But like i said she is no idiot. She tells the Dr's whats going on with me and I am put in rehab. Once released I took my state boards for Paramedic, and we did a little math. I had not slept for 35 days straight before that night. My body shuttign its slef down was its way of forcing me to rest.


 Gues I was gonna rest when I needed to or my body was gonna kill me to  rest.. Either way Meth is a hell of a drug, and is very very very dangerous drug that will kill you no if ands or butts..


 On a side note I did not loose a single tooth, but I did look like a bean pole.

GOD BLESS YOU FOR BEING MAN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT HERE TODAY,AND WISH YOU COULD TELL THIS TO MANY IN MY STATE,IT'S A EPIDEMIC OF UNSIZABLE PROPORTION HERE IN OREGON..I

YOUR STRENGTH..