The Crystal Real Meth Imperils Youth

Methamphetamine – also known as ICE because of its physical appearance is like ice crystals – has been a growing problem among many growing adults. The area of concern inculde university students and those residing in hostels, students and young teenagers, are not under the scrutiny of their parents and can experiment with such drugs as an adventure.

Meth has been reported by many doctors to be a “sweet poison” that gives you immense confidence and a high sexual drive. Later it starts eating away your body and methamphetamine is a DEA II scheduled drug. The DEA schedules drugs into five categories depending on its medical use and drug abuse potential so schedule one drug has a very high potential of causing dependency and abuse and so on.

Methamphetamine is known by a lot of other street names like ice, meth, speed, glass, shards, biker’s coffee, yaba etc.

Methamphetamine in its composition is an amphetamine, which is a synthetic sympathomimetic amine. It works by releasing the NTs Acetylcholine, Dopamine, and also likely Serotonin from its storage sites, mmimickin the natural biological effect.

Methamphetamine or ICE was originally smuggled from Iran or Afghanistan to Pakistan at first. Unlike hashish and other drugs that can be grown locally, meth has to be made from special chemicals. These chemicals are the ones that need to be smuggled across the border without being caught. The preparation and its making involves local handlers and international links where they get the chemicals.

Methamphetamine is being sold on the black market for the past few years. Media report explained how only a 300 gms of methamphetamine was being transported in 2 large oil canisters. Earlier in May 2020, a 100 kg was seized by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), which according to the sources worth PKR 3 billion.  The smuggling started probably earlier in 2018 when after a tipoff inspection in Balochistan, the police raided a vehicle seizing 75 kg of crystal ice. Back then it was almost sold for 8000-9000 PKR per gram and was used by the elite class.

Although the origin of the usage of meth was among the elites, still it has been made more available by mixing cheap chemical substances with it. Many users have admitted they used it to 'stay awake' in during preparation months for university exams to get rid of their 'fatigue' so they can stay active and study but as expected, it's now a 'party drug'. Some people also use it in names of 'relieving their worries' after a survey, it was concluded that at least 10,000 people were users of methamphetamine in 2019.

It has been reported that not only male students but female students have also given in to the use of Meth/ ice. Many of these female students do this to join the trend and fashion that is going on. Many university parties and clubs are the areas where both male and female users indulge themselves in meth. Because the drug is so expensive itself, many of these teenagers involve themselves in several illegal acts and crimes to keep the ‘stock’ coming. The ratio of female users to male users has risen to such an extent that the then Federal Minister Shahryar Afridi stated that about 75% of the female while 45% of the male students in the federal capital were users of meth and substance abuse respectively.

The number is rising in KP, especially in the cities of Peshawar and Mardan. Many students of different provinces have been reported to be users. Many users of Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda and Nowshera buy their fix at tribal merged district Khyber (Hub of different kind of drugs).

Although the high of meth is unlike any other substance that is abused, the crash is worse than ever too. It starts with itching, weight loss, lack of appetite, sleeplessness and memory gaps. It is accompanied by meth mites, where the user feels there are insects and mites crawling under his skin. Persuaded by this delusion, patient starts itching at his skin and develops a bad rash and infection.