Crystal Methamphetamine

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Crystal Methamphetamine, (Ice) is a potent stimulant, which means it speeds up the messages going to and from the brain. Ice belongs to the amphetamine family of drugs. It can look like colourless 'rocks' (how it got its name 'ice') also known as crystal meth, crystal, glass, shard, and speed. It can be injected, smoked, snorted or swallowed.

The history of Crystal Meth dates back to WWII. Crystal Meth was extensively used to combat fatigue and increase alertness in our soldiers. Following the war era, Meth tablets, referred to as "work pills" were widely used in Japan. In the 30’s in Australia amphetamine was also used to treat asthma, the late 1960s, Crystal Meth became known as a dangerous drug that created substantial health threats to users, prompting the drug prevention slogan "speed kills". Today amphetamine derivatives are used in the treatment of
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The primary chemicals commonly used for manufacturing Crystal Meth include - ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, hydrochloric or hydriotic acid, ether, and red phosphorus, which were readily available from numerous sources. Since there were few or no regulations on the purchase of these chemicals, the manufacturing of Crystal Meth was a rapidly growing backyard industry. However, restrictions on the purchase of ephedrine in bulk during the early 1990s resulted in two major consequences for Crystal Meth production. First, there was a change in the "recipes" used to make Crystal Meth, such that pseudoephedrine replaced ephedrine as the main chemical used in production. As a result of the switch to pseudoephedrine as an alternative chemical for the manufacturing of meth, pharmacies and convenience stores became unwitting suppliers of the Crystal Meth production as pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines (e.g., Sudafed and Nyquil).