Drug Rehab in Scotland Braces for Crystal Meth Abusers

When we Americans think of Scotland, we picture men in kilts playing the bagpipes in quaint country villages, or perhaps the mysterious Loch Ness Monster. The reality of modern Scotland is much like ours – a population grown weary of widespread alcohol and drug abuse and drug-fueled crime in the streets. Now, for the first time in Scotland, police have seized a quantity of crystal meth, said to be the most addictive substance in the world. Officials are hoping to avoid a crystal meth epidemic like those that have torn apart communities and families in the US, Australia, and parts of Europe, where it has killed or crippled tens of thousands of people and pushed drug detox and drug rehab facilities to their limits.

Despite reports of low-level use among hard-core drug addicts, Scottish police had yet to encounter the substance until this month. The recovery of a small amount of the drug by police in Lerwick, Shetland, has confirmed its arrival in the country. Fears that crystal meth might join the epidemic of dangerously strong home-grown cannabis and the growing population of crack cocaine abusers has officials very watchful.

Crystal meth, or “ice” as it’s called, is three times as addictive as cocaine. It is known to cause psychosis, a kind of “mind-scrambling” that leaves its victims unable to control themselves. Long-term abuse of crystal meth compromises the body’s immune system and sends the body into a debilitating decline that can lead to death, or little more than a vegetative state. To recover mental and physical health after sustained crystal meth abuse, a dedicated, specific drug detox and drug rehab program needs to include a carefully balanced and tailored diet as well as expert counseling and long-term support.

Symptoms of crystal meth abuse can include impaired judgment, co-ordination and reflexes, heart palpitations, blurred vision, extended wakefulness, and damage to the brain, lungs and liver. Addicts become violent, depressed, self-destructive, and prone to psychoses and hallucinations. The drug can also induce the sensation of ants or other insects crawling under the flesh, leading to compulsive scratching of sores. Outwardly, ice addicts suffer from severe weight loss, excessive sweating and, due to intense cravings for sweet foods, abnormally rapid tooth loss, known as “meth mouth.”

It’s clear that drug detox and drug rehab cannot be started too soon in the case of crystal meth addictions. However, many crystal meth addicts can be rescued and brought back from the brink of self-destruction with the right kind of drug rehab program.

Methamerica – Teaser 1

Teaser for Methamerica, an upcoming feature documentary that reveals intimate portraits of crystal meth abuse in the Midwest and broad scope insight into the national meth epidemic. For more info: methamericamovie.com

26 Pounds Of Crystal Meth Seized In Pitt, Lenoir Counties

Filed under: crystal meth epidemic

Police say they have seized 26 pounds of crystal meth and have arrested eight people in two Eastern Carolina counties. They estimate the meth was worth $ 500000 on the street. The Greenville Regional Drug Task Force announced the arrests Thursday …
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