Everyone Loses –
October 25, 2019 – “Like all culture, it varies from region to region and is a a result of history, demand, law enforcement,” Dezman said. In Baltimore, where Dezman is an emergency physician, heroin has been the most commonly misused substance among residents for decades, he explained, adding that since methamphetamine use in the U.S. started in California, that could explain the drug’s stronger regional foothold. Methamphetamines “can be made cheaply using materials found on most farms,” Dezman said. “A large amount of toxic waste is produced in the process, so methamphetamines are more often produced in rural or isolated areas where it is easier to hide from the authorities.” For people who use methamphetamines, treatment and resources are slim. Opioid addiction can be treated with the medications buprenophine or methadone, and opioid overdoses can be reversed with the drug naloxone. There’s no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine treatment, nor any overdose reversal drug to revive people, Dezman explained. Developing such a treatment is a top research priority for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, he added.
