Methamphetamine: Tougher Laws; Stricter Rules
Congress this past March passed a monumental act. Entitled the “Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005” it places stricter rules and regulations on retailers and consumers when purchasing certain items. These items include: pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. This means tablets, liquids, gel caps and any other form. Those which are prescribed by a physician are not a part of the new regulations.
In an upcoming article I will be discussing different state laws to comply with the new anti-Meth law. Until then, it is important for parents to take a look at what “drugfreeamerica.com” provides as some signs of meth usage in teens.
Short-Term Use Can Result In:
Ã?§Alertness and inability to sleep: Something might be up if you notice a change in your teen’s sleeping patterns – especially if he’s staying up for days on end and then sleeping or fatigued for a few days straight.
Ã?§Nervous physical activity: You notice your daughter is fidgeting – and possibly scratching or picking at her skin.
�§Decreased appetite: Your child is uninterested in food, and starts to become dangerously thin.
�§Euphoria and rush: Your teen might be extremely alert and energized, even after he or she was up all night.
Ã?§Increased respiration and/or increased body temperature: Your child might appear out of breath for no reason (meth is a stimulant that can speed up one’s heart rate.)
Ã?§Burns, nosebleeds or track marks: If there strange burns on her lips or fingers, she may be smoking meth through a hot glass or metal pipe. Snorting meth could cause nosebleeds and eventually eat away at the septum inside the nose. If she’s using meth intravenously there could be track marks on her arms.
�§Carelessness about appearance: Has your teen stopped showering? Has she lost interest in grooming? Does he no longer brush his teeth?
�§Deceit or secretiveness: Is your normally honest child lying to you all the time? Are her plans sounding fishy or vague? Is his bedroom door always closed? Has she got a seemingly endless string of excuses to justify her behavior?
Ã?§Violence and aggression: Meth affects the central nervous system, which in turn can affect a person’s mood. Look for wild mood swings, hostility or abusive behavior.
Ã?§Presence of inhaling and injecting paraphernalia: If you noticed razor blades, mirrors, straws, syringes, spoons or surgical tubing in your child’s room, this is a clear sign of drug abuse – and a cry for help.
Ã?§Withdrawal from family and friends: Look for deteriorating relationships with family members and friends. She may be depressed or exhibit a lack of enthusiasm – and not share or express herself as she used to.
�§Loss of interest in school and extracurricular activities: Meth is highly addictive, and many users spend most of their free time looking for another way to find more of the drug. Therefore, interests that were once very important to your child may all of a sudden seem insignificant.
�§Problems at school: This can include slipping grades, absenteeism and decreased motivation.
Ã?§Missing valuables: For the teen who’s looking to buy drugs, their parents’ house can be a gold mine of resources – from stealing cash from your wallet to swiping valuables like jewelry and heirlooms to pawn for money.
