Methamphetamine use and production have become a principalthreat to law enforcement agencies here, and the drug’s damagecontinues to spread.

But what is meth and what makes it so popular?

Meth is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powderthat easily dissolves in water or alcohol. It can also be inhaled,making it the first major drug that can be used in any of thecommon forms of abuse: snorting, injecting and smoking.

The drug is a powerfully-addictive stimulant that dramaticallyaffects the central nervous system. The effects can last for hours,instead of minutes as with crack cocaine. It increases wakefulnessand physical activity while decreasing appetite, making it popularamong truck drivers, construction workers, weight watchers, workingmothers, housewives and others whose occupations keep them workinglong hours at an increased pace.

According to the National Drug Threat Assessment, issued by theDrug Intelligence Center of the Department of Justice, the typicalmeth abuser is Caucasian (79 percent), male (53 percent), andbetween the ages of 25 and 34.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Agents Conner Magee and ChadGriffin, who work nothing but meth cases, said those figuresaccurately reflect the users here also.

“It’s still mainly white, blue-collar workers producing andusing it,” Magee said. “The age difference has become morediversified though.”

Most drugs, the agents said, can be easily broken down in termsof basic demographics, but there are always those who break thestatistical charts and make crossovers. Demographically speaking,however, meth and cocaine are strongest in their own sub-cultures,white and black, respectively.

Meth won’t replace cocaine despite the similarity of theireffects because of those demographics, the agents said. Marijuana,however, will always be the most popular drug of choice because itcrosses all demographic boundaries and is cheap and plentiful.

“Many meth users have the talent and drive to do more with theirlives, to raise their status, but their lives are consumed bygetting the precursors, cooking, and using meth,” Magee said.

The meth “rush” is caused by the introduction of the drug to thebody, triggering the adrenal gland to release a hormone calledepinephrine (adrenaline), which puts the body in a “fight orflight” mode. In addition, the intense sense of physical pleasureresults from an explosive release of dopamine in the pleasurecenter of the brain.

These two factors combine to provide the short-term effects ofincreased attention and physical activity, decreased fatigue andappetite, and euphoria.

A meth user can keep “hitting” the drug to maintain the highwhile on a “binge.” This can last from three to 15 days duringwhich the abuser does not sleep and eats very little.

“There’s no such thing as a casual user on meth,” Magee said. “Ameth user won’t just use it when he goes to a club, he’ll always belooking for his next hit.”

“Tweaking” occurs near the end of the binge, when more doses ofmeth no longer provide the benefits because of a built-uptolerance. Tweaking is very uncomfortable to the abuser and is themost dangerous period for others. Tweakers are extremelyunpredictable and short-tempered. They are often violent.

The long-term effects of meth can be lethal. The drug has anextremely high level of addiction and produces psychosis,hallucinations, mood disturbances, violent behavior, and weightloss. It can also cause strokes and repetitive, uncontrollablemotor activity, or shakes. The paranoia can result in homicidal aswell as suicidal thoughts.

“Meth eats you from the inside out,” Griffin said. “It destroysyour immune system. It causes craters in the skin. Your appearancedeteriorates greatly.”

Meth users often suffer from “meth bugs,” a feeling or sensationof bugs crawling beneath the skin.

“They can scratch a hole in themselves. I’ve even seen some takeout chunks of flesh,” Magee said.

There are no physical withdrawal symptoms, but depression,anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression and an intense craving formore meth are all common.

“I know a lot of people who tried to kick (the habit), but wereunable to. It’s not impossible to quit, but it’s very difficult,”said Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Officer ChrisPicou.

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Agent JimmyBarton was even more grim. He said several studies have all shownhim that less than 6 percent of abusers are ever completelyrehabilitated.

Editor’s Note: Part three of this ongoing series willexplore how law enforcement agencies are reacting to the threat ofmethamphetamines.