LOS ANGELES -- It's an addiction all too common, and it's effects are detrimental.
Crystal methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a drug so powerful it will trick, addict and seduce you into thinking you can do or be anything you want.
Psychiatrist Dr. Steven Klevens has researched crystal meth users and it's potentially deadly and damaging effects on users.
After years of abuse, addicts can become almost unrecognizable. In some cases, the before and after photos are shocking.
"It causes people to scratch their skin [because] they think things are crawling, and that's why you see sores and excoriations all over their body," Dr. Klevens explained.
"Crystal meth is an extremely dangerous substance," according to Dr. Klevens. "It's highly addictive, and people can become quickly addicted even after just a couple of doses."
Meth is "now the most commonly reported primary drug of abuse in California's publicly funded treatment system," according to The California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP).
And Californians make up 40 percent of all methamphetamine treatment admissions nationwide.
Studies also show that 7 billion dollars is lost in the workforce every year -- just in California alone -- with users calling out sick after going on a meth binge.
And while these before and after photos are dramatic, they send a strong message: meth is the beginning of the end.
For more information about meth treatment and prevention initiatives, see the ADP's California Meth Initiative resources.
Here, you'll find contact information for county alcohol and drug program offices.
Additionally, the ADP Resource Center maintains two toll-free statewide telephone numbers (1-800-879-2772) and (1-800-662-4357) for California residents needing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention and treatment information.
See also the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) online resource for locating drug and alcohol treatment programs.
Crystal methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a drug so powerful it will trick, addict and seduce you into thinking you can do or be anything you want.
Psychiatrist Dr. Steven Klevens has researched crystal meth users and it's potentially deadly and damaging effects on users.
After years of abuse, addicts can become almost unrecognizable. In some cases, the before and after photos are shocking.
"It causes people to scratch their skin [because] they think things are crawling, and that's why you see sores and excoriations all over their body," Dr. Klevens explained.
"Crystal meth is an extremely dangerous substance," according to Dr. Klevens. "It's highly addictive, and people can become quickly addicted even after just a couple of doses."
Meth is "now the most commonly reported primary drug of abuse in California's publicly funded treatment system," according to The California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP).
And Californians make up 40 percent of all methamphetamine treatment admissions nationwide.
Studies also show that 7 billion dollars is lost in the workforce every year -- just in California alone -- with users calling out sick after going on a meth binge.
And while these before and after photos are dramatic, they send a strong message: meth is the beginning of the end.
For more information about meth treatment and prevention initiatives, see the ADP's California Meth Initiative resources.
Here, you'll find contact information for county alcohol and drug program offices.
Additionally, the ADP Resource Center maintains two toll-free statewide telephone numbers (1-800-879-2772) and (1-800-662-4357) for California residents needing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention and treatment information.
See also the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) online resource for locating drug and alcohol treatment programs.
