methamphetamine
Initially limited to Hawaii and western parts of the country, methamphetamine abuse spread eastward like a wild fire over the last several years, leaving devastation in its path in both urban and rural parts of the eastern states and Tennessee has not been an exception.
Adverse health effects include memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, heart damage, malnutrition, and severe dental problems.
There have been reports of some urban areas having a decreased work force, due to the inability of some of its citizens to pass a drug test.
The good news is that methamphetamine abuse can be prevented and methamphetamine addiction can be treated. People do recover, but only when effective treatments that address the multitude of problems resulting from methamphetamine abuse are readily available.
Methamphetamine users benefit greatly from long term addiction treatment. Removing the addict from the immediate environment and allowing the development of new skills and relationships is crucial to recovery.