Crystal, crank, chalk, glass, ice, speed, zip. Whatever you call it, the illegal street drug formally known as methamphetamine, or simply meth, has rapidly become a national menace, causing more drug-related, local law enforcement issues than cocaine, marijuana and heroin combined, according to a survey conducted last year by the National Association of Counties. Inexpensive and easy to produce, thanks in part to recipes posted on the Internet, this highly addictive and profitable drug—$100 in supplies makes about $1,000 worth of white powder, pills or crystals—gives the user a rush of pleasure as well as increased energy, self-confidence, and feelings of desirability. The high lasts 8 to 24 hours. Addiction is quick.

After their first experience with meth, users require more and more of the drug to obtain the high they’re after. Whether they snort, smoke, ingest, or inhale it, the physical and psychological damage is great. Over time, meth robs users of their health, mental abilities and, by desensitizing brain receptors, their ability to experience pleasure. Nasal bleeding, blood pressure spikes, hot flashes, nausea, itchy skin, sores, numbness in hands and feet, mood swings, convulsions, prenatal complications, congenital deformities, exhaustion once the high wears off, and, eventually, organ damage are common side-effects. Fatalities are not unusual. ...

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