Methamphetamine
Now days, drug abuse is so frequently described as an “epidemic”, that it is beginning to sound cliché. However, it is none-the less true, that methamphetamine abuse has become an epidemic in this country.
Every epidemic, such as typhoid, has a single origin point from which it spreads. It starts with something small but grows into an epidemic if not contained or stopped. Likewise, this is what has happened with methamphetamines. And likewise, as is the case with malaria and other diseases, there should be antidotes and methods of curbing how fast this epidemic spreads.
In the case of methamphetamines, that origin point was Germany in 1887 when the Germans first synthesized amphetamines. (more on the difference and similarities between methamphetamines and amphetamines later).
The drug was shelved for about three decades. No one had figured out what disease it was supposed to cure. That apparently wasn’t an aspect of the research. That changed in the 20s, when the drug was investigated as a possible cure for lots of things, including depression and decongestion.
During the Depression in the United States, the amphetamine drug was marketed as Benzedrine and a treatment for the nasal congestion suffered by those with asthma, hay fever and colds. It was also abused during this time of prohibition by those who simply wanted to get high.
Japan discovered methamphetamine in 1919. It was water soluble (so it could be injected), easy to make and more potent than amphetamines.( The crystalline, water soluble and easily injected form of methamphetamine as discovered by the Japanese is still legal in the United States and is sold as Desoxyn.)
So what is the difference between amphetamines first discovered in Germany and the methamphetamines later created in Japan? Both are stimulants and amphetamines, but one of them has the name meth in front of it. The “meth” comes from the chemical “methyl”. Simply put, the added methyl makes it more soluble, meaning better penetration to the brain. However, both drugs are central nervous stimulants and can be damaging.
To continue with the history of amphetamines and methamphetamines: In the beginning of World War II the German soldiers were heavy user of methamphetamine and attributed some of their power to the drug as they marched through France. 35 million tablets were sent to the German army in 1940. The choice of methamphetamine over amphetamines was most likely because of the divergent patent path that amphetamines had gone down since first being discovered in Germany. In fact amphetamines at that time of World War II were covered by patents in the United States and Europe and methamphetamines were not – so the Germans could use them.
By the time the Americans entered the war in 1941, the Germans had heavily restricted the use of methamphetamines by their soldiers. The drug had been found to be too dangerous and too addictive for routine use. Just as the Germans were getting out of using central nervous system stimulants, American soldiers were using them for aviation and bombing missions. At the same time, the Japanese were also using methamphetamines. So every side was using some kind of upper to a certain degree, but by 1941, the Germans were using it the least. Eventually the British came to the conclusion that there were dangers in amphetamine use, but the Americans never did and gave it to pilots throughout the war.
After the war, intravenous methamphetamine abuse became a huge problem in Japan when military supplies became available to the public.
In the 1950s Methedrine (methamphetamine) and Dexadrine (dextroamphetamine) were both legal in the United States. They were widely available and became popular for all kinds of uses. Truck drivers and college students took the drugs to stay up all night and athletes took amphetamines for extra energy. They were also viewed as a cure all for things like mild depression and weight. Use turned to abuse as availability of the drug spread.
The pattern of abuse changed in the 60s when injectable methamphetamine became more available. There was a spike for a short time in the IV use of meth until 1970 when the legal production of injectable methamphetamine was restricted. The use then declined.
At the beginning of the 21st century methamphetamine abuse started to spread like wildfire throughout the United States. Meth labs popped up all through the country side while recipes were easy to find on the internet. Law enforcement spent a great deal of time taking down meth labs, only to have another one pop up almost as soon as one was taken down. Unlike earlier times in history, when governments seemed to be able to stop and start the use of amphetamines and methamphetamines, the government appears almost paralyzed in its ability to stop what has become an epidemic use of methamphetamine.
When local legislative bodies finally restricted the sales of Sudafed (a key ingredient of Methamphetamines) and a lot of the labs were taken out, the Mexican Cartel stepped in to take over and started pushing a higher grade methamphetamine into the country through various channels. Atlanta Georgia was one city that has remained a hub for methamphetamine distribution by the cartel. Large busts have taken place in what would seem to be all American neighborhoods where kids roam the streets with their bikes and most parents leave every morning for their nine to five jobs. These quiet neighborhoods became the perfect cover-up for the very un-American business.
The methamphetamine epidemic, like others, put a heavy toll on the health and life quality of individuals that get infected. The families of individuals who are addicted to meth go through their own kind of hell as they watch their loved one diminish in size, health and mental capacity. Additionally methamphetamines can turn a beautiful person to someone who looks like a horrifying monster with pock marks, receding jaw and broken teeth. Apparently meth is so addicting that none of its horrific side effects are enough to make some people quit. And like Frankenstein, gentle souls can turn into monsters that can’t seem to get a grip on themselves and commit horrible crimes.
And what is the cure or antidote for this epidemic? Unlike mosquito nets that can help with malaria, police dragnets seem unable to stem the tide of proliferation. Yet, historically, amphetamine and methamphetamine abuse rose and fell with government endorsement or sanctions.
These times are quite different, but why?
The answer to this question is well worth pursuing as it would have great impact on our world today and this civilization’s future.
Please contact Narconon for more information.
