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Methamphetamine is a very addictive

stimulant drug that affects the central

nervous system. It is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential

for abuse and is available only through

a prescription that cannot be refilled.

However, its medical uses are limited

and the doses prescribed are much

lower than those typically abused. Most

of the methamphetamine abused in this

country comes from foreign or domestic

superlabs, although it can also be made

in small, illegal laboratories, where its

production endangers the people in the

labs, neighbors, and the environment. 

How is Methamphetamine

Abused?

Methamphetamine is a white, odorless,

bitter-tasting crystalline powder that 

easily dissolves in water or alcohol 

and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting

the powder), by needle injection, or 

by smoking. 

How Does Methamphetamine Affect the Brain?

Methamphetamine increases the release

of very high levels of the brain chemical

dopamine, which is involved in motivation, the experience of pleasure, and

motor function, and is a common mechanism of action for most drugs of abuse. 

Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the brain functions.

Noninvasive human brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the activity

of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor performance

and impaired verbal learning.1 Recent

studies in chronic methamphetamine

abusers have also revealed severe 

structural and functional changes in

areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory,2,3 which may account

for many of the emotional and cognitive

problems observed in chronic methamphetamine abusers. 

Long-term methamphetamine abuse 

can also lead to addiction—a chronic,

relapsing disease, characterized by

compulsive drug seeking and use, and

accompanied by chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Some of these

changes persist long after methamphetamine abuse is stopped, and some

reverse after sustained periods of 

abstinence (e.g., 2 years).4

What Other Adverse Effects

Does Methamphetamine

Have on Health?

Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in increased 

wakefulness, increased physical activity,

decreased appetite, increased respiraMethamphetamine
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tion, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and

hyperthermia. 

Long-term methamphetamine abuse has

many negative consequences, including

extreme weight loss, severe dental problems, anxiety, confusion, insomnia,

mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Chronic methamphetamine abusers

can also display a number of psychotic

features, including paranoia, visual and

auditory hallucinations, and delusions

(for example, the sensation of insects

creeping under the skin). 

Also, transmission of HIV and hepatitis B

and C can be consequences of methamphetamine abuse. Among abusers who

inject the drug, HIV and other infectious

diseases can be spread through contaminated needles, syringes, and other injection equipment that is used by more than

one person. The intoxicating effects of

methamphetamine, regardless of how it

is taken, can also alter judgment and

inhibition and lead people to engage in

unsafe behaviors. Methamphetamine

abuse may also worsen the progression

of HIV and its consequences. Studies of

methamphetamine abusers who are HIV

positive indicate that the HIV causes

greater neuronal injury and cognitive

impairment compared with HIV-positive

people who do not use the drug.5,6

What Treatment Options

Exist?

Currently, the most effective treatments

are behavioral. For example, the Matrix

Model, a comprehensive behavioral

treatment approach that combines

behavioral therapy, family education,

individual counseling, 12-Step support,

drug testing, and encouragement for

nondrug-related activities, has been

shown to be effective in reducing

methamphetamine abuse.7 Contingency

management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for

engaging in treatment and maintaining

abstinence, have also been shown to be

effective.8 There are no medications at

this time approved to treat methamphetamine addiction; however, this is an

active area of research for NIDA. 

How Widespread is

Methamphetamine Abuse?

Monitoring the Future Survey†

According to the 2007 Monitoring the

Future Survey—a national survey of 8th,

10th, and 12th graders, methamphetamine abuse among students has been

declining in recent years; however, it

remains a concern. Survey results show

that 1.8 percent of 8th graders, 2.8 percent of 10th graders, and 3.0 percent of

12th graders have tried methamphetamine. In addition, 0.6 percent of 8th

graders, 0.4 percent of 10th graders,

and 0.6 percent of 12th graders were

current (past-month) methamphetamine

abusers in 2007. Decreases in past-year

abuse of methamphetamine were seen

for 8th (from 1.8 percent to 1.1 percent)

and 12th graders (from 2.5 percent to

1.7 percent) from 2006 to 2007. 
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National Survey on Drug Use and

Health††

In 2006, there were an estimated

731,000 current users of methamphetamine aged 12 or older (0.3 percent of

the population). Of the 259,000 people

who used methamphetamine for the first

time in 2006, the mean age at first use

was 22.2 years, which is up considerably from the mean age of 18.6 in

2005. From 2005 to 2006, lifetime

methamphetamine abuse increased

among those 26 and older, particularly

among those 26–34 years of age.

Rates of past-year methamphetamine use

among persons aged 12 years or older

were the highest in the Western United

States (1.6 percent), followed by the

South (0.7 percent), Midwest (0.5 percent), and Northeast (0.3 percent)

regions of the country. 

Other Information Resources 

For more information on the effects of

methamphetamine abuse and addiction,

visit www.drugabuse.gov/

drugpages/methamphetamine.html.

To find publicly funded treatment facilities by state, visit www.findtreatment.

samhsa.gov. 

For street terms searchable by drug

name, street term, cost and quantities,

drug trade, and drug use, visit:

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/

streetterms/default.asp.

8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade

Lifetime 1.8% 2.8% 3.0%

Past Year 1.1 1.6 1.7

Past Month 0.6 0.4 0.6

Methamphetamine

Prevalence of Abuse

Monitoring the Future Survey, 2007

Data Sources

† These data are from the 2007 Monitoring the Future survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse,

National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. The

study has tracked 12th graders’ illicit drug abuse and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th and 10th graders

were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov.

†† The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is

an annual survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Findings from the

latest survey are available at www.samhsa.gov.

References

1 Volkow ND, Chang L, Wang GJ, et al. Association of dopamine transporter reduction with psychomotor impairment

in methamphetamine abusers. Am J Psychiatry 158:377–382, 2001.

2 London ED, Simon SL, Berman SM, et al.. Mood disturbances and regional cerebral metabolic abnormalities in

recently abstinent methamphetamine abusers. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61:73–84, 2004.
June 2008 Page 4 of 4

3 Thompson PM, Hayashi KM, Simon SL, et al. Structural abnormalities in the brains of human subjects who use

methamphetamine. J Neurosci 24:6028–6036, 2004.

4 Wang GJ, Volkow ND, Chang L, et al. Partial recovery of brain metabolism in methamphetamine abusers after protracted abstinence. Am J Psychiatry 161:242–248, 2004.

5 Chang L, Ernst T, Speck O, Grob CS. Additive effects of HIV and chronic methamphetamine use on brain metabolite

abnormalities. Am J Psychiatry 162:361–369, 2005.

6 Rippeth JD, Heaton RK, Carey CL, et al. Methamphetamine dependence increases risk of neuropsychological impairment in HIV infected persons. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 10:1–14, 2004.

7 Rawson RA, Marinelli-Casey P, Anglin MD, et al. A multi-site comparison of psychosocial approaches for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. Addiction 99:708–717, 2004.

8 Roll JM, Petry NM, Stitzer ML, et al. Contingency management for the treatment of methamphetamine use disorders.

Am J Psychiatry 163:1993–1999, 2006.

National Institutes of Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This material may be used or reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.