In Iowa, marijuana and methamphetamine are the most abused illicit drugs, according to the 2010 Iowa Drug Control Strategy. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently abused substance in the state. The report also states that prescription drug abuse appears to be on the rise.
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Tennis superstar Andre Agassi reveals in his new autobiography that he used crystal meth while playing professional tennis in 1997, and then lied about it to officials after testing positive for drugs.
Agassi, 39, says he hit rock bottom in his career due to a wrist injury that year—and was having serious doubts about his upcoming marriage to actress Brooke Shields—when his assistant, “Slim,” offered him the drug, according to an excerpt in The Times of London.
Singer and actress Fergie (born Stacy Ferguson) has admitted that as a teenager, she became addicted to illegal drugs in an attempt to escape her troubles. Fergie has been clean for more than ten years, but is only now revealing that her pre-fame drug addiction left her paranoid and delusional.
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There are a number of things that can happen to an individual when they begin to use and then become hooked on methamphetamine. A recent study examined former methamphetamine users and their ability to maintain basic functions after giving up use of the drug.
Science Daily recently published a piece that shared the results of this study. One notable finding of this study included the fact that it takes at least a year for former methamphetamine users to regain impulse control. For many recovering abusers, it can take an extended period of time for the brain functions critical to recovery to improve.
Methamphetamine is the second leading drug threat in the U.S., according to the U.S. National Drug Threat Assessment 2009, released by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Cocaine, another stimulant, is number one. Over the past 10 years, methamphetamine has become one of the most widely abused street drugs. Treatment for meth addiction is complex and evolving. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is currently funding research to develop medications for treating stimulant addiction (cocaine and methamphetamine). But there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for meth addiction. And the treatment process requires a long-term commitment.
Perhaps you’ve seen the ads—one shows a hunched-over, bloodied woman with the caption, “My mother knew I’d never hurt her, then she got in the way.” Another image shows a jail cell complete with bunk beds and a urinal that reads, “No one thinks they’ll spend a romantic evening here. Meth will change that.” These disturbing images are courtesy of the Meth Project, a nonprofit organization that says it’s showing the ugly truth about methamphetamine use through graphic print and broadcast ads.
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