How addictive is meth?
Comparing meth to other drugs of abuse
By Nicole Stricker . nstricker@postregister.com
Just how addictive is methamphetamine? That's hard to measure since different addictive drugs act on different parts of the brain and are abused for different reasons.
Cocaine is classically considered the most addictive recreational drug, according to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It increases the brain's level of dopamine - a molecule that triggers good feelings and stimulates the brain's natural reward system.
Meth releases five times as much dopamine as cocaine.
It is more addictive than crack, a smokable form of cocaine that delivers the drug more efficiently. Heroin and nicotine are considered harder to kick because both come with physical withdrawal symptoms. But meth and cocaine cause addiction more quickly - sometimes after just one use - and can trigger more powerful cravings.
Here are some other comparisons between cocaine and meth.
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meth
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cocaine
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. Man-made
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. Plant-derived
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. Damages brain cells that make dopamine
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. Causes little damage to brain cells
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. High lasts eight to 24 hours
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. High lasts 20 to 30 minutes
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. Common in Western urban and rural areas
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. More common in metropolitan areas
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both
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. Both can be smoked, injected or snorted.
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. Both produce an intense rush when smoked or injected, followed by a euphoric "high."
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. Both produce no intense rush and take longer to produce a high when snorted.
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. Both can produce craving, paranoia and depression when people try to stop.
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. Both can contribute to high-risk sexual behaviors and HIV/AIDS transmission.
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Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
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