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Why are Drug Addicts
Compelled to Risk Their Lives
for a Methamphetamine High?
By: Jeanine and Maddie
Teens and Drugs
 Compelled to use drugs to escape their
problems.
 Use because of depression and want a
high to get out of the hole.
 Use to feel beautiful (particularly
females)
 Most common reason in teens for using
drugs is peer pressure.
Methamphetamine
“Crystal Meth”
“Meth”
 52% of Idaho prison inmates are there
because of crystal meth.
 $66 million: annual cost to incarcerate
Idaho meth users.
 77% of teens will start using at the age
15.
Why?
Addiction
Want
Craving
Pressure
Escape
Pleasure
Dopamine
 Dopamine is the chemical in the brain that
allows a person to feel pleasure.
 Meth raises this chemical abnormally.
 Crystal meth raises dopamine levels over 10
times more than regular pleasures of life.
 Meth creates an extreme rush of pleasure
which plays a large role in the addiction to
meth.
Meth in the Brain
 When meth is consumed, it travels through
the blood stream and enters the sending
neuron and produces extra dopamine. The
dopamine then enters the synapse, meth
blocks the transporters, and pleasure levels
are raised 1200%.
 http://www.idahomethproject.org/Meth_Info/
education.php
 An educational video above.
Afterwards
 After meth addicts finish a run of meth
they experience a series of “crashing”
emotions.
 Fatigue
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Confusion
The Brain
 When a drug is consumed the drug
interferes with parts of the brain.
 The drug hinders the communication
system and inhibits the way the nerve
cells send, receive and process
information.
Why risk their lives?
 The drug plays with the brain.
 The addict doesn’t know any better.
 The addict doesn’t care because the
only thing on their mind is a high.
 The drug makes them happy; therefore,
to them it is not hindering to life.
Definitions
 Neuron: A specialized nerve cell in the brain.
 Synapse: The space between two neurons.
 Transporter: The entrance and exit way to
and from the synapse which the dopamine
travels through.
 Receptor: Receives dopamine and sends a
signal of pleasure throughout the brain.
Bibliography
 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary
 http://www.idahomethproject.org/
 http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1
.php
 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3
&hid=104&sid=dc020547-5f9c-44c8-8a0fbcf5a34173eb%40sessionmgr112&bdata=Jn
NpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rch&
AN=32537416