3.1 Analyse drug use by 15 – 25 year olds in New ZealandDue: 9th April 2009Teacher: Miss KirnerName: Sidonie ApiataMeth is a drug with high potential for widespread distribution and abuse. INTRO TASK – Identifying the issue...What is methamphetamine ?It is a highly addictive man made drug. It appears as a white or yellowish crystalline powder, has a bitter taste and no distinguishing smell. It is a Class A drug and can be found all over the world, due to the fact that it has been around for many years. It is also a stimulant which triggers the release of certain brain chemicals giving the user a euphoric high. It has a range of street names such as Ice, Meth, P, Speed, Crank and even Amp Blue Belly. Meth can be taken orally, by smoking, snorting and the worst way is injecting because the drug formula is going straight into the blood system therefore affecting the body. Over the years it has developed and become the world’s largest drug problem – by far!Why is methamphetamine a health issue ?Meth has become more and more of a health issue to the 15 year old to 24 year old age group because users think that by using meth it will enhance their mental and physical performance, to gain energy or simply just to “feel good”. I do agree that having 1250 extra artificial units of dopamine in your body will definitely make you feel good, but each time someone uses Meth they kill off dopamine production in the brain. Each time it is used a little more dopamine is needed and a little more of the brain dies off. (Methcon, 2007) It is for that very reason that more and more people are turning to meth as a way to make them feel better about themselves. Also in 1998 there were only two drug labs found in New Zealand. In 2006 there have been 211 labs discovered, a number that continues to rise. Of more concern it has taken 20 years for this drug problem to become an epidemic in America, compared to the 10 years it has taken New Zealand. (Methcon, 2007) But particularly for this age group it is the crime that gets really targets the 15+ age group and they start to form gangs. Majority of gangs in New Zealand easily influence young teens to start smoking which then can lead to alcohol, which then can lead into cannabis use and eventually that high won’t be enough for them which makes them turn to Methamphetamine to get that extra kick.TASK ONE – Explain factors contributing to drug use by 15 – 24 year olds.Social: work conditions, social support, stress, early life conditionsThe social determinants of health have a lot of factors that contribute to the use of methamphetamine. It can all start from parental influences as a child, excessive use of drugs and alcohol can affect the child and influence them to do the same. Growing up in and around the use of P and the manufacturing of the drug a child can be inclined to do exactly that. But for the older age group it could be because of unhappy work conditions, stress, or social support and exclusion that make them turn to use methamphetamine, thinking that it will provide them with more energy to get through everyday chores and responsibilities. These factors can start a chain of social risks leading to addiction and regular daily need of the drug.Lifestyle: Personal behaviours, balanced eating, drug use, exercise, dealing with life’s stresses and challenges.The type of lifestyle someone has determines the how well their well being is. Once again if from a young age the child has been around the use of methamphetamine, or his/her mother was using the drug while they were pregnant then this is going to have a huge effect on the child, their behaviour and their own well being as they grow up. They can be born with the symptoms that their mother had when she was using the drug or what is most likely to happen is that the child then tends to experiment with lower class drugs like marijuana until it can reach the point of them too using P. Also everyday life can take its toll on people, and they may feel they need a little boost of energy to keep them going for the rest of the day. Little do they know that they are contributing to the addiction factor and before they know it, it creeps up on them and becomes a daily need? Personal: Genetics, age, healthiness.Methamphetamine can increase your mood, decrease your appetite, give you more energy and alertness and a sense of increased personal power but there is also a downside when using this drug that affects your health. Not all people experience problems when using the P but depending on how often you use the drug, how much of it you take, its purity, TASK TWO – Analyse the implications for 15-24 year olds as a result of drug use.Aspect 1: PERSONAL WELLBEINGThere are many positive and negative effects that Methamphetamine can have on the personal wellbeing of a 15 to 24 year old. Personal Wellbeing is knowing how to balance out all dimensions of your own Hauora to get the best and feel the best out of life. Unfortunately meth has a lot of personal, social, cultural, environmental, political, economical, and lifestyle factors that can have great impact on you and they also influence our health or wellbeing. Depending on how long the user is using the drug they can suffer from the short term effects such as irregular wakefulness and heart rate, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, eating and sleeping disorders, an intense rush or sensation and it kills off tissue in the brain immediately. Long term effects are more intense like severe weight loss, rotten teeth, skin becomes darker and more pale, chronic depression, paranoia, hallucinations and the worst being death. Personally I think that the only advantage that the user can get from using methamphetamine is for weight loss if the drug is used in a controlled way. But from the research I had done it seems that the drug was used in World War II so that the soldiers would need very little sleep and minimal food. Because the drug is a stimulant it can act as an appetite suppressant. It will eventually deteriorate the mental and physical wellbeing of its user. Aspect 2: RELATIONSHIPSMethamphetamine can also have an impact on the people around you and that are close to you. Again both positive and negative effects can result from this. Meth can make the user feel Aspect 3: FINANCIAL ASPECTS