Expert: Jacqui - 9/21/2009

Question
hi jacqui,
 i'm not on drugs nor have i ever thought of trying but i have to write a report concerning crystal meth to a panel of psychologists and counselors and i don't know how to start.  as you have a background in psychology and studying drugs, what would you expect to read from a report on crystal meth?  do you want to hear about the general info (like history) or are you already too familiar with it?  or would you expect to read about how to identify behaviors or causes of meth addiction?  i'm supposed to write for a group of psychologists, but it would seem that psychologists would already be too familiar with all the available information so i don't know what to write.  please help!  thanks!

Answer
Hi David,

It all depends!  What is the context that you are doing this in?  Are you presenting it at a workplace?  Why are the psychologists and counsellors attending?  Also, I dont want you to take this the wrong way, but if I was attending a talk on methamphetamine, I guess I would be interested in hearing from an expert.  

Anyway, my approach to drug use is harm reduction focused.  Any information you include will need to be evidence based ... avoid hysterical terms ("drugs kill kids").  Focus on actual evidence and real figures.  Loads and loads of people use these kinds of drugs.  You could start by talking about the history of meth use.  There is some interesting stuff about this in that amphetamine used to be common and when the police and customs started cracking down on the chemicals to make it, people changed the recipe and created 'methamphetamine'.  You could look at the use of amphetamine stype drugs in medicine (i.e.: for ADHD and narcolepsy) and then you could also look at the differing patterns of illegal use (i.e.: use by students for study, use by the fashion industry for weight loss, use by truck drivers, use by people in small towns as recreation, use in the gay scene and dance scene).  Counsellors and psychologists will probably also want to know about some of the mental health effects and what can be done to minimise them.  

The main thing I would suggest is that you stick to the facts.  Unfortunately there was a huge 'moral panic' around methamphetamine (like crack in the 90s), and the problems with the war on drugs is that the truth never gets in the way of a hysterical story.  

I hope that helps!  Good luck with it and if you need more info, please don't hesitate!!!

Good luck and stay safe,

Jacqui