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Comment by md224 | Hacker News Reader

I'm almost glad that the meth being sold is described as "pure"... I'm tired of hearing about deaths from heroin cut with fentanyl.

Also: I would be interested to know if anyone has attempted to use a Desoxyn (pharmaceutical methamphetamine) taper to get someone out of meth addiction.

It's interesting that Desoxyn can be prescribed safely (?) to patients while crystal meth is a "killer". I'm guessing dosage and medical supervision makes a big difference in outcomes.

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It's not really even clear to me that meth is that much of a killer. The article quotes 6000 deaths per year for all stimulants in the US. Alcohol related deaths per year in the US seems to be around 88,000. Obviously alcohol use is more common, but you also have confounding issues of increased risky behavior taking in general for meth users.

It's not that it's a killer, it's that it is a destroyer of lives. Produces lots of 20ish year olds with deep pockmarks, no teeth, paranoia issues, Hep C, HIV, etc. Unemployable zombies with tendencies to shoplift, drive impaired, petty theft, etc. It's in the same category as crack cocaine. Very few functional serious users. Unlike, say alcohol, mdma, ectasy, benzodiazapines, marijuana, etc.

Meth really is a nasty business.

The route of administration (ROA) has a lot to do with it. Snorting, smoking or injecting meth gives a stronger high than ingesting meth, with a correspondingly higher risk for addiction. Chasing after the high can lead to compulsive redosing, which can keep the user awake for days at a time, often without eating due to the appetite suppression. Sleep deprivation and lack of nutrition are the causes of most harms meth users experience (Stimulant psychosis seems closely linked to sleep deprivation). Medicinal dosages are also much lower than recreational ones, Desoxyn pills start at 5mg.

The problem is really bad for those who smoke meth, trying to get them on any alternative is tough. For more casual users you could steer them into something else, but a meth smoker or injector is addicted not just to the drug but also to the process of smoking or shooting on top of it. People who use IV drugs get addicted not just to the drug itself but also to the process of preparing and using the drug.

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