A growing, and rather disturbing, number of teenagers are now being linked to crystal meth use. What used to be an addiction that’s primarily concentrated on women in their late 20s onwards is now spreading to other demographics. However, when crystal meth use touches candidates which are as young as high school students, what are parents and school administrations to do?

Severity

Crystal meth use is a very serious matter if only because even the smallest dosage of it can be addictive. Secondly, crystal meth use can cause permanent brain damage if not stopped right away. Have you seen a case of the meth mouth? Meth mouth, or a condition wherein someone who uses meth for a long time suffers from a mouthful of decaying teeth, is actually a mild side effect compared to all the other things that crystal meth use can cause. Unless you’re able to stop your teen’s crystal meth use, s/he can suffer from psychosis, heart failures, permanent brain damage and a lot more.

Most of the side effects of crystal meth use are fatal, and your teen doesn’t even have to use the substance for a long time for death to stick its ugly head in. The street drug is homemade, which means that its potency can vary from one batch to the next. Even teens who are just trying the drug for the first time can actually die from it, and the sad thing is that they’re trying it because they don’t know any better.

Reasons for using

In order for you to stop, or even prevent your teens from using crystal meth you need to know the top three reasons why they do it first. Crystal meth use is triggered by peer pressure. Some teens do it simply because they want to belong. Others use crystal meth because they want to lose weight. While the weight loss may be true, this effect only lasts for 6 months. The weight that’s lost in the first six months is eventually gained back, and the repercussions are graver than the benefit.

Some students also use crystal meth to stay alert and study for an exam. If you fear that your child is using crystal meth for these reasons, you shouldn’t hesitate to call a rehab center and ask for help right away.