Crime and Drug Abuse - Essay Example

Along with this information it is also necessary to demonstrate that people do not always have to use mind altering drugs to commit crimes and that is accomplished by incorporating a copy of a news article that clearly illustrates this point. The three types of drugs chosen for examination in this report are: Methamphetamines, PCP (phycyclidine) and Chrystal Meth. Excellent descriptions of the first two drugs, their street names and effects of using them are found in the following charts, reproduced from the US National institute on Drug Abuse website: Illegally manufactured in labs and sold as tablets, capsules, or colored powder.

It can be snorted, smoked, or eaten. Developed in the 1950s as an IV anesthetic, PCP was never actually used in humans because of its intensely negative psychological effects. Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of overdose or because of the drug's unpleasant psychological effects. In a hospital or detention setting, people high on PCP often become violent or suicidal. Another drug, Crystal Meth is one of the major causes for concern among professionals working with drug abuse in all parts of the world.

The following information about the substance was accessed on a New Zealand website: WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Same as for methamphetamine/crank but in some cases more severe with hallucinations, paranoid ideation and toxic psychosis. Recovery from psychosis may be complete; for some, however, there has been no improvement after 2 yrs. with medications. OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS: See methamphetamines""Crystal meth" is known to cause those who use it to become violent or suicidal. This form of drug