Many years ago on the battlefield soldiers used it to be more proactive and awake. For the last couple of decades this substance has wreaked havoc through the communities. It’s caused people to lose jobs, houses, cars, and their families. It seduces you with its charm; it makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. Once hooked, you become its slave. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug. People were able to get it as a prescription for weight loss and depression. Once they began to see that it had habit forming properties, the pharmaceutical company’s put a restriction on it, therefore, leading people into the black market of methamphetamine use and abuse. It gives the user a high of one like cocaine, but lasts …show more content…
After some years past, it became very popular during World War II. Amphetamines were given to the soldiers, so they could stay awake for longer periods of time and to increase efficiency. However, there were adverse side effects that came from the use. The soldiers would become irritable and hostile from taking the drug. In the 1950’s meth became popular in the United States. According to Nancy Harris, in her book Amphetamines claims, “fighter pilots, including Japanese kamikaze pilots, took amphetamines to help them stay awake and alert during long missions” (13). Once the troops found out that the meth was water soluble, they began to use the drug intravenously. After the war was over they returned home with a habit. Along with their habit, they brought back the use of intravenously consuming the drug. A thought to ponder: these were the people that defended our country. One could only imagine the long lasting effects that took a toll on our …show more content…
It sends large amounts of dopamine into the brain 's reward circuit. A person’s brain is set to receive and release amounts of dopamine, therefore, calling dopamine a neurotransmitter, because it sends signals within the brain. Lee states, “methamphetamine is much more powerful and causes a fifteen hundred percent increase in dopamine” (31-32). Meth simulates the dopamine a person’s brain produces, but in increased amounts. A person’s brain is made up of cells and between each cell there’s a space. Once a person consumes meth it produces an imposter dopamine between each one of those cells; therefore, causing an extremely good feeling of sensation throughout their body leaving them searching for that first high. In addition, after a period of time the brains receptors become blocked from the large amounts of dopamine produced by the meth. Throughout that time the brains reward system which is called the mesolimbic pathway is affected. Lee states, “this is one of the areas of the brain that is most powerfully associated with pleasure… also highly associated with addiction”