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Comment by dmix | Hacker News Reader

http://lmart999.github.io/assets/drug_agg.png

Looking at this chart and being a bit assumptive, is it safe to say crack use has declined and meth has increased?

Maybe meth isn't really a new epidemic with a new user group, crack users just transferred to meth. Basically, those looking for cheap escapist drugs targeted at the very poor have moved onto a new product.

I'm curious which one is worse for society and the users?

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Only partially. The total number of meth incidents (light blue, top chart) looks like it was up a little bit in 2014, but by nowhere near as much as the drop in crack, and is down in the last few bars. Meth has grown proportionally, but only because of the drastic decline in crack and heroin.

Meth is quite possibly the most dangerous drug in existence. It's cheap. It's almost as addictive as heroin. It makes people aggressive, impulsive, and even violent for hours.

Now, don't go trying to convert meth-heads to doing crack. They're both very harmful.

> It makes people aggressive, impulsive, and even violent for hours.

Source?

Meth is an amphetamine like Adderall. I'm pretty sure using a strong stimulant just increases the negative (and positive) attributes already in people.

This sounds like the nonsense about bath salts making people murderers.

People love conflating mental health issues with the drugs people take.

*Not that I'm defending meth users, but I doubt that needs to be said.

I am not sure if there is an increase in meth use. Last couple of years look roughly the same as 10 yrs ago in absolute amount.

Crack is a drug popular among blacks. Blacks leave, so does crack.

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