There is no way to take crystal meth safely. That was the message Dan Lustig of Haymarket Center presented to a recent gathering at 4910 S. Martin Luther King Dr.
During the presentation, Lustig talked mostly about the basics of meth, including discussions on how the stimulant is made as well as how it affects an individual. (Short-term effects include hyperthermia, increased attention, and decreased appetite while long-term ramifications include paranoia, depression, and fatigue.) In talking about the latter topic, he demonstrated how meth can affect the brain dopamine system. (Dopamine is a key brain chemical that interacts with nerve cells involved in memory and emotion, rewarding activities like eating and sex with feelings of joy.) According to Lustig, evidence has shown that a single high dose of meth can damage nerve terminals in the areas of the brain that contain dopamine. If terminals cannot reabsorb the dopamine, the brain becomes flooded with the chemical—which can lead to such extreme results as psychotic reactions.
Lustig also discussed the differences between meth and cocaine, another stimulant. One distinction involves the length of time that the user experiences a feeling of euphoria. With cocaine, the feeling can last 20 to 30 minutes; with meth, the period can be from 24 to 36 hours. Another difference is that long-term meth abuse can lead to many of the dopamine-producing cells being permanently damaged. With cocaine, the damage can eventually be reversed.
The presentation concluded with questions that individuals should ask themselves to determine if they have a drug problem.
Questions that people should answer honestly include:
How often am I using?
How much am I using?
How much money am I spending on crystal?
What happens when I stop using crystal (if used more than once a week)?
Do I want to take more even when I am high?
What are my strategies for controlling my use?
How is crystal affecting my thoughts, feelings, and behavior?
The talk also included a discussion of issues that Haymarket Center’s Kenis Williams grouped into ideas that could be exercised in the near future. Among the suggestions were learning how to intervene, educating providers, increasing the amount of resources, impacting current social marketing programs, connecting with more prominent organizations to bring attention to the problem, and eradicating the stigma of meth abuse. Another topic that an attendee brought up was the need to stop blaming one group or event for the drug problem. Lustig agreed, saying that the spotlight needs to be moved from the issue onto the individual who needs help.
Even people who had attended other meth forums were shaken by some of the information that was presented, such as the fact that some users mix meth with ground glass to tear their nasal passages so the drug can kick in faster.
The harsh realities surrounding meth were not lost on anyone. (Lustig’s comment to the largely Black audience that meth could hit the African-American community by the summer was a particularly sobering remark.) At one point, Lustig said that he did not want to scare people but to educate them. ‘Too late,’ one attendee said as the room filled with laughter. ‘Well,’ Lustig countered, ‘if that’s what it takes … .’
(Note: For more information, Lustig recommends that people contact Haymarket Center at (312) 226-7984 as well as Crystal Meth Anonymous at www.crystalmeth.org or (773) 248-1009 and (773) 348-2533.)