I agree, of course, but I was looking at it more from the patriarchal/protective aspect of the FDA. If you need to exert control, then exert the control that has worked best in the past (apparently…I am most certainly not a pharmacist). All of the name-taking and recording smacks (drug pun intended) of 1984.
As far as that list…
Now…IANAMA (Meth Addict), but I have 7 of those in my garage as we speak. Arent’ they going to start tracking my occaisional splurges at my NAPA Auto Parts and Sportmart?
dangermom , that website made me sick to my stomach. How…I don’t even know what…just revolting. Especially that age progression of that woman over nine years that had her winding up looking like a corpse. I wonder if she’s actually dead now?
Meth is one of those things, that IMO, you can see on someone right away. There’s just a certain sucked up look to 'em that you don’t seem to get with any other drug or sickness. shudder
I had a cold a bit ago and my girlfriend went to the pharmacy to buy some boxes of the Comtrex Deep Chest Cold - the only thing that seems to work when I get one that settles in my lungs, as nearly all of them do.
There was a sign on the shelf that said to see the phamacist for the product, so she went and asked for 3 boxes as they were on sale. The pharmacist said that he could only give her 2.
I know that the police in my area say that meth is a growing problem, and I don’t want to have convience trump safety - but that’s just silly.
Definitely a stimulant, but I’m not hip to whether it’s a bronchdilator or not, perhaps a helpful chemist or doc will come along to clear that up.
It comes in whitish rocked powder–like cocaine–and can be crushed and smoked, snorted, or injected. I’ve even heard of people eating it, but that’s probably pretty uncommon because you wouldn’t get the intense initial rush that way. If you’ve ever see a really greasy looking person with bad teeth, scabbed over skin, sunken cheeks and pallid skin jittering like a madman and talking nonstop to anyone about anything, you’ve met a methhead. Charming, eh?
Besides the inconvenience to defective-sinus people like me, there are other idiotic things about clamping down on a safe, legal cold medicine. First, every drug store has to either hire more pharmacists or force customers into longer lines. It’s a hassle for Rx customers, too; they have to stand in the same long lines, next to people coughing out cold germs.
In this morning’s paper, a story said US sheriffs called meth the nation’s biggest drug problem. Bush’s drug czar is blind to that. He says it’s marijuana, and he’s wasting time busting medical marijuana folks.
I think Spun is a good flick - albiet probably slightly fictionalized - about meth use, users, and cooks. Those interested above might want to check it out, although I can’t really vouch for it’s accuracy.
A couple of years ago was the first time I saw those pics and they were discussed here in detail, although I’d have no idea on how to search for that thread. But the jist of the discussion was that meth addicts are sometimes homeless, tend to eat poorly, maybe oftentimes coffee steeped in sugar and donuts from a shelter, and pretty soon their teeth fall out. In those photos, which are incidentally of a prostitute, you can tell the exact time when she lost her teeth. Her face becomes gaunt, her cheekbones decidedly more pronounced, and I’d guess her diet was even worse without the ability to chew.
What puzzles me is that I’ve known quite a few professionals, bankers, lawyers and even a surgeon, that did a fair amount of meth. Admittedly, I’m no angel there either. Yet keeping things relatively in control and at some point simply walking away from it was no problem. I wonder why for some it’s a minor vice and for others it’s probably the single most destructive force in their life.
That could be said about anything, lieu. It’s the difference between the occational roleplayer and the guy who insists that you call him Trogdar the Terrible or the guy who gets a crush as opposed to the guy who spends hours photographing the object of his affection through her blinds. Some people are more prone to losing their footing in life, be it to drugs, alcohol, gambling or anything else you can think of.
From what I understand, a lot of them are having unprotected sex *because they’re on crystal. Apparently, it just turns you into this raving sex god who won’t even stop if things are starting to tear. shudder
I noticed the clubs started getting less and less fun to go to when people started doing crystal… sigh
The NYTimes had an interesting article a couple of weeks ago about “meth mouth”. Evidentally, it’s a pretty common thing for meth users to get and something is happening beyond just poor nutrition and upkeep. They think it may have something to do with the dry mouth meth users get.
Anyway, the upswing in meth users in rural communities means an increased need for dentists is communities that have few. Dentures, something dentists thought they would see go obsolete, are making a comeback. Expenditures for prison dentistry are sky-rocketing.
Here’s a link to a Tampa Tribune reprint of the article which may or may not require registration.
On the contrary! I quite LIKE dead people! Why, some of my BEST FRIENDS have been dead people! In fact, I was hoping to show the world just how little predjudice I have against the deceased of this world by patterning a website after this one.
I hope you can see that I hold no ill will toward my expired brethren. Maybe you’d like to come over for a seance?
Back before I was able to kick the habit I was doing about $500 a week of meth. At $100 a gram, that’s a lot of speed. But I haven’t used any since Feb 15th 2004 and don’t ever plan on doing it again. I am just now getting back up to my fighting weight. And no, I never lost any teeth or had scabby skin. I’ve seen that happen to people, but in the 3 years I was hooked on it that never happened to me. The worst outward appearance effect was the stink (ok, I know stink isn’t an appearance thing, but I couldn’t think of how to say what I meant). It oozes through your pores and you smell like a rotting baboon’s asshole. Smoking it was my person preferance, but if time didn’t permit that I would just crush it and snort it. Snorting that shit hurts like hell. Someone up thread said it is a powder kinda like coke, but it’s more of like 1/4 inch long crystal shards.
Evil, evil shit. I’m glad I was finally able to kick the habit. Rock bottom sucks, but if that’s what it took for me to kick it then I’m glad I found myself there rather than dead.
Congrats on kicking, Greathouse! I’m glad you were able to before the physical effects got out of control. Isn’t it a lovely feeling to be out from under the weight of an addiction, and be able to look back and know you’ll never go there again? Very liberating.
Paul–is all cold medicine illegal, or just Sudafed? Why? Is meth a problem there too, or is it for some other reason?
We had a similar meth mouth article here a month or so ago; it’s becoming a big issue because people complain about spending so much on dentists for jail inmates. However, the law states that inmates are entitled to basic care, and hey, it seems to help some people (girls especially) find some hope that they might turn back.
It’s my understanding that they think meth mouth is caused by a combination of the corrosive chemicals attacking the teeth, the lack of any oral hygeine, the drymouth which then leads to a lot of soda drinking, and the way addicts quit eating. It’s a perfect recipe for getting your teeth to crumble away in short order.
