Don't let incarceration or death affect your life or the life of someone you love. Understanding the terrible effects of methamphetamine can make the difference in life or death. According to T. Lopez (2014), at the age of eighteen he lost his father due to the impact methamphetamine had on his heart and kidneys. However, a few years later, she and her husband became victims of the terrible cycle of addiction. Unfortunately, due to their addiction they became involved in criminal activity and found themselves in prison, leaving behind their five children. Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system (CNS). It is commonly called speed, methamphetamine, chalk, ice, crystal, crank and glass. Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water or alcohol (Speed, 2011). It was created “from the drug amphetamine and was originally used in nasal decongestants, bronchial inhalers, and in the treatment of narcolepsy and obesity” (Treating Methamphetamine Addiction). Methamphetamine is considered “a Schedule II drug, a drug with little medical use and a high potential for abuse” (Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction). Although it can be produced in small, secret labs with fairly cheap over-the-counter ingredients, “over 85% of meth is produced in super labs in California and Mexico” (Meth Addiction Statistics, 2014). Methamphetamine abuse is a very serious addiction that affects the mental and physical states of those who use it, simultaneously destroying their lives; without managed treatment, bad luck is inevitable. Methamphetamine addiction can have very negative effects on a person's brain and mental well-being. Methamphetamine stimulates the brain to release certain hormones such as... middle of paper......statistics.htmMethamphetamine. (2013, October 29). Retrieved January 23, 2014, from CESAR: http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/meth.aspNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013, September). Methamphetamine: abuse and addiction. Retrieved February 6, 2014, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/methrrs_web.pdfSpeed. (2011, December 29). Retrieved February 6, 2014, from Drug Information Online: http://www.drugs.com/speed.htmlTreating Methamphetamine Addiction. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2014, from the ATTC Network: http://www.attcnetwork.org/resPubs/meth/Summary%20info%20from%20New%20England.pdfWhich treatments are effective. (2013, September). Retrieved January 23, 2014, from NIH: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine-abuse-addiction/what-treatments-are-effect-methamphetamine-abusers