The discovery someone you care about is using meth is heartbreaking. The signs of use are easy to identify if you know what to look for. You will notice a definite change in behavior. Meth is a stimulant, it heightens the senses, and a feeling of well-being is experienced. The user will become talkative and active. Insomnia develops, sometimes for days. They lose interest in eating, schoolwork, and relationships with non-users. Other users start hanging around. The person becomes secretive, locking himself away for hours at a time. Things of value start to disappear. Soon, irritability from lack of sleep sets in. They become distant and defensive about using. Hygiene starts to decline. They quit bathing, brushing their teeth, and combing their hair. As the addiction progresses, they disappear for days without telling anyone where they have been. They become secretive about their friends. Life is in disarray. They become a shell of their former self. This is a painful time for loved ones. Going days on end wondering when the call will come with news of an overdose or death.
Emotional signs of meth abuse:
Change in behavior
More active than normal
Talkative
Insomnia
Loss of interest in eating
Loss of interest schoolwork
Loss of interest in relationships
Strange friends hanging around
Irritability
They become distant and defensive
They become secretive
Disappear for days without explanation
The physical signs of meth abuse are unmistakable. Smoking meth involves using glass pipes or tin foil. Read more about Is smoking aluminum foil harmful. The presence of pipes with residue or foil that appears burnt is an indication of use. Butane lighters and miniature torches used to melt the drug are present. There will be a noticeable smell of burnt plastic. Small plastic bags carrying the drugs will be found. The discovery of syringes and spoons indicates intravenous use. You might find a "kit" that contains all the paraphernalia needed to administer the drug. A telltale sign of blood on sleeves and pants is a sign of IV use, as well as needle marks on the arms and legs. To hide the needle marks, the addict will wear long sleeve shirts even in hot weather.
Physical signs of meth use:
Finding burnt foil or glass pipes
Presence of butane lighters or torches
Slight smell of burnt plastic
Presence of small plastic bags
The discovery of syringes and spoons
Blood spots on sleeves and pants
Needle marks on arms and legs
Wearing long-sleeve shirts to cover the needle marks
Manufacturing methamphetamine has become popular. Contributing to its popularity is the ease of obtaining the ingredients and the simple process involved. Empty cold and sinus pill packages, chemical odors, such as acetone and toluene, and ammonia permeate the air. Most of these solvents are highly carcinogenic. The process also involves lithium from disassembled batteries. Lithium is toxic and volatile. Making meth is nasty and dangerous. However, the nature of meth addiction causes the user to think he can manufacture the drug and get by with it. It seems that once they pass this threshold, their inhibitions lower and lead to other criminal conduct. By this time, they are deep into their addiction. Read more: Can smoking out of aluminum foil hurt you?
Signs of meth manufacture:
Empty cold and sinus pill packages
Chemical odors
Empty cans of industrial solvents such as toluene or acetone
Ammonia smell
Presence of disassembled lithium batteries
Presence of drain cleaner containing lye
Presence of pool or concrete cleaner containing hydrochloric acid
If you suspect someone of using meth, be proactive. The sooner they attempt to quit, the better. Meth abuse is a progressive addiction. The longer it is used, the harder it is to quit.