Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas ReportingMethamphetamine is a very addictive drug that has powerful effects on the body. While many people hallucinate and have paranoid delusions. One program is spreading awareness of the drug's devastating physical impact.
You might think meth addicts look like the rest of the population, but many law enforcement officials say it's pretty easy to "spot" a user.
Marjean Searcy, Salt Lake City Cops Meth Initiative: "They thin quickly, they have marks on their face, and their teeth deteriorate fast."
Before and after pictures of meth addicts put together by deputies in Oregon show many users have red marks all over their face.
Jon Gill, Odyssey House Counselor & Former Addict: "The chemicals are trying to get out of your system and they have to get out somehow, and they actually leech through your skin."
So many people pick the sores on their bodies. They also have delusional episodes that force the same behavior.
Marjean Searcy: "One girl explained to me that she thought there were bugs or something crawling under her skin, so she would pick at it."
Matthew Wall, Recovering Meth Addict: "I cut off a part of my arm thinking there was something underneath."
Matthew Wall used meth daily before he entered the Odyssey House rehab program. He still remembers the physical effects on his body.
Matthew Wall, Recovering Meth Addict: "I was 65 pounds lighter. I weighed 150 pounds, so I was basically a bag of bones."
Jon Gill: "You just don't eat, you come down after a five-day runner and then you sleep for three days. So you're barely eating in between any of that time."
Meth depletes calcium in the body, physically changing a person's bone structure. Hair gets brittle and dry, and a user may look 30 or 40 years older than they really are.
It's not surprising the drug is so aggressive when you take into account what it's made from. Many people make meth from brake or hydraulic fluid, along with Drano and matchbox chemicals.
For those who use meth, physical problems are just the beginning of their issues.
In Salt Lake meth arrests continue to rise, despite all the labs that have been shut down. Drug abuse experts hope pictures like these can prevent people from trying it in the first place.
