Why is Meth a Popular Drug in the South? - Garden State Treatment

Illegal drugs are prevalent in almost every area of the world especially the United States of America. You can find marijuana probably in every time zone in America. This also is true for Cocaine, Heroin, and many other illegal drugs but some areas are more prone to have increased use because of many factors – demographics, wealth, population, dense or rural areas, and many other reasons.

We all know about the opioid crisis in this country but what many of us forget is there is still a rise of other illegal drugs. One, in particular, is Methamphetamine or Meth. According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of a drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks. It is chemically similar to amphetamine, a drug used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.

Why is Meth a Popular Drug in the South?

What is Methamphetamine?

Methamphetamine can be used in many ways such as smoking, oral (pill form), snorting, and injecting. The high of this drug comes and goes quickly which often leads to a cycle using effect, binging and crashing over and over again. Some users will sometimes use for long periods without food or sleep for hours to several days.

How Meth Addiction Works

Meth can be found all over the country but it is highly popular in the southern region of the United States. This is because a key ingredient in meth production is the over-the-counter (OTC) drug pseudoephedrine, which is found in common cold medicine, and household cleaners therefore, it is easy and cheap to come by. The south region of the states tends to have more low-income populated areas therefore, the meth is more affordable.

The product to make meth is commonly “cooked” in trailers or remotely located residential homes, which are found in the rural areas of the south. Rural areas also have a lower police presence witch can also increase the use and production of meth. Meth labs are notoriously dangerous because the byproducts of the drug’s creation process are toxic and explosive.

Meth Abuse is Mostly in the Southern United States

Another reason, according to the White House, that may be for the concentration of meth in the southern region of the United States is the Mexican cartels bringing it in over the border.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), currently, most methamphetamine in the United States is produced by transactional criminal organizations (TCOs) in Mexico. This methamphetamine is highly pure, potent, and low in price.

Methamphetamines have the same initial effects on the user just like cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants: increased wakefulness and physical activity, decreased appetite, faster breathing, rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and body temperature.

Users who continue to use methamphetamine over long periods are also known to have cognitive problems. It can cause changes in the brain that can damage coordination, verbal learning, emotion, and memory.

Contact us for Meth Addiction Help 

If you or someone you love needs drug treatment Methamphetamines in New Jersey, you’ve come to the right place and we’re very glad that you’re here. You’ve taken the all-important first step toward relief, and that’s what we want for you and your family.

Right now, you need compassionate professionals who understand what you’re experiencing right now. Fortunately, that’s exactly what we are at Garden State Treatment Center. We’re an experienced and highly trained team that has helped pull hundreds of families just like yours from the jaws of addiction and despair.

We are a Joint Commission (JCAHO) accredited facility, which shows our commitment to continue elevating our standards and providing superior treatment for substance abuse.

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  • What are popular drugs in the Southern United States?

Published on: 2021-02-27
Updated on: 2024-02-28