We must act now to stop meth epidemic

In recent months, headlines in newspapers across the country warned about a drug that killed thousands of Americans in 2018 alone and ruined countless more lives.

It’s not fentanyl.

It’s methamphetamine — or meth for short.

The hit series Breaking Bad brought the realities of meth and its production into America’s living rooms, but meth use isn’t new. Meth first gained traction in the United States during the 1990s and grew into the 2000s. At that time it was usually made in home labs with pseudoephedrine, an ingredient commonly found in drugstore cold medicines. The ease by which this deadly drug was made led to the introduction and passage of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005, which banned over-the-counter sale of cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. Basement meth labs have mostly become a thing of the past because of these restrictions, which are still in place. The meth on the market today comes primarily from Mexico. This new strain is cheaper, more potent and even easier to access, increasing its appeal to new users as well as those who are addicted to it.

Aside from meth’s potential for addiction, its use additionally presents the risk of overdose death by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke or a heart attack. Prolonged meth use can also damage the liver and other organs, resulting in serious illness that can cause death.

Provisional data from the federal government shows there were about 13,000 deaths involving meth nationwide in 2018, more than twice as many as in 2015.

A particularly dangerous form of meth consumption involves polydrug use, in which it is combined with one or more other substances. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that in 2017, 50 percent of all meth-related deaths also involved an opioid, with half of those cases attributed to fentanyl. In many instances, the user is unaware that fentanyl has been added to the meth they are using.

At Mountainside, our admissions reflect what is happening on a national level. In 2019, we saw a significant increase in clients who use meth — more than three times the number of people compared to 2018, with the majority using it in combination with other substances. Nearly 40 percent of these polydrug use clients combine meth with opioids, including fentanyl — a particularly deadly mix. This underscores the urgent need for effective, evidencebased treatment methods.

At the present time, unlike for opioids, no medication has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to successfully treat meth addiction, reduce its cravings, or reverse the effects of a meth overdose. For now, treatment for meth consists mostly of behavioral therapies designed to help reduce anxiety and change underlying thoughts and beliefs that contribute to addictive behaviors.

There are many lessons to be learned from the opioid crisis, and one of the most significant is that we need to act quickly if we want to halt a potential meth epidemic. We have a chance to curtail it before it gains a stronger foothold over our country, communities and households.

A huge step forward in the fight to curb and treat meth addiction is the recent passage of a bill that allows states to access federal money that was allocated to combat the opioid crisis in their communities. This is especially important for Western and Midwestern states, where, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, law enforcement agencies are reporting an increase in meth use, in many cases surpassing that of fentanyl.

However, this is only one step. We call on lawmakers at all levels of the government to change, implement or enforce legislation that:

⏩ allocates federal funding to support the research and testing of medication to treat meth addiction and to reverse an overdose;

⏩ supports assessment, referral and treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders, as well as enforces state and federal laws that require insurance parity for mental health and substance use disorders; and

⏩ removes administrative and other barriers to treatment-based rehabilitation programs.

Let’s help to make sure that people in need receive the care and support they need. A healthy society benefits us all.