Research Report

Revised October 2019

Methamphetamine Research Report

Table of Contents
Methamphetamine Research Report
Overview

What is methamphetamine?

What is the scope of methamphetamine misuse in the United States?

How is methamphetamine misused?

How is methamphetamine manufactured?

How is methamphetamine different from other stimulants, such as cocaine?

What are the immediate (short-term) effects of methamphetamine misuse?

What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine misuse?

What are the risks of methamphetamine misuse during pregnancy?

Are people who misuse methamphetamine at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C?

What treatments are effective for people who misuse methamphetamine?

What treatments are under development for methamphetamine use and addiction?

Where can I get further information about methamphetamine?

References
Methamphetamine Research Report
Provides an overview of the latest scientific findings on methamphetamine, including short- and long-
term health consequences, effects on pregnancy, and potential prevention and treatment options.

This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA.
Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse;
National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Overview
The misuse of methamphetamine—a potent and highly addictive stimulant—remains an extremely
serious problem in the United States. In some areas of the country, it poses an even greater threat
36
than opioids, and it is the drug that most contributes to violent crime. According to data from the
2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), over 14.7 million people (5.4 percent of the
population) have tried methamphetamine at least once. NSDUH also reports that almost 1.6 million
1
people used methamphetamine in the year leading up to the survey, and it remains one of the most
37
commonly misused stimulant drugs in the world.

The consequences of methamphetamine misuse are terrible for the individual—psychologically,

medically, and socially. Using the drug can cause memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior,
damage to the cardiovascular system, malnutrition, and severe dental problems. Methamphetamine
misuse has also been shown to contribute to increased transmission of infectious diseases, such as
hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.

Beyond its devastating effects on individual health, methamphetamine misuse threatens whole
communities, causing new waves of crime, unemployment, child neglect or abuse, and other social
ills. A 2009 report from the RAND Corporation noted that methamphetamine misuse cost the nation
1
approximately $23.4 billion in 2005.

But the good news is that methamphetamine misuse can be prevented and addiction to the drug can
be treated with behavioral therapies. Research also continues toward development of new

Page 2
pharmacological and other treatments for methamphetamine use, including medications, vaccines,
and noninvasive stimulation of the brain using magnetic fields. People can and do recover from
methamphetamine addiction if they have ready access to effective treatments that address the
multitude of medical and personal problems resulting from their long-term use of the drug.

What is methamphetamine?

Photo by DEA

Crystal methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.
Also known as meth, blue, ice, and crystal, among many other terms, it takes the form of a white,
36,37
odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.

Methamphetamine was developed early in the 20th century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and
was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. Like amphetamine,
methamphetamine causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a
pleasurable sense of well-being or euphoria. However, methamphetamine differs from amphetamine
in that, at comparable doses, much greater amounts of the drug get into the brain, making it a more
38 39
potent stimulant. It also has longer-lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system.
These characteristics make it a drug with high potential for widespread misuse.

Methamphetamine has been classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule II
stimulant, which makes it legally available only through a nonrefillable prescription. Medically it may
be indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as a short-term

Page 3
component of weight-loss treatments, but these uses are limited and it is rarely prescribed; also, the
40
prescribed doses are far lower than those typically misused.

What is the scope of methamphetamine misuse in the United

States?
According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 1.6 million
people (0.6 percent of the population) reported using methamphetamine in the past year, and 774,000
(0.3 percent) reported using it in the past month. The average age of new methamphetamine users in
2
2016 was 23.3 years old.

An estimated 964,000 people aged 12 or older (about 0.4 percent of the population) had a
methamphetamine use disorder in 2017—that is, they reported clinically significant impairment,
including health problems, disability, and failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home as a
result of their drug use. This number is significantly higher than the 684,000 people who reported
having methamphetamine use disorder in 2016.

The 2018 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of adolescent drug use and attitudes reported that
about 0.5 percent of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders had used methamphetamine within the past year.
Use of methamphetamine by adolescents has declined significantly since 1999, when this drug was
3
first added to the survey.

The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) provides information on admissions to substance abuse
treatment facilities that are licensed or certified by state substance use agencies. According to TEDS
data, nationwide treatment admissions for methamphetamine misuse dropped from 68 per 100,000
39
individuals in 2005 to 49 per 100,000 in 2015.

Page 4
An important caveat to these national numbers is the degree to which they mask regional variability.
While methamphetamine is available across the US, highest availability is in the western and
midwestern regions of the US; more than 70 percent of local law enforcement agencies from the
pacific and west central regions of the US report methamphetamine as the greatest drug threat in
41
their area.

NIDA’s National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS), which tracks drug trends in sentinel sites
across the country, found that treatment admissions for methamphetamine as the primary substance
of use were less than one percent in sites east of the Mississippi River, but ranged from 12-29
41
percent in the sites west of the Mississippi. Nationwide, overdose deaths from the category of drugs
that includes methamphetamine increased by 7.5 times between 2007 and 2017. About 15 percent of
all drug overdose deaths involved the methamphetamine category in 2017, and 50 percent of those
42
deaths also involved an opioid. In 2017, 5 of the 12 NDEWS sites reported increases in
41
methamphetamine overdose deaths: Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

Page 5
How is methamphetamine misused?
Methamphetamine comes in several forms and can be smoked, snorted, injected, or orally ingested.
37,38,43
The preferred method of using the drug varies by geographical region and has changed over time.

Smoking or injecting methamphetamine puts the drug very quickly into the bloodstream and brain,
causing an immediate, intense "rush" and amplifying the drug’s addiction potential and adverse health
consequences. The rush, or "flash," lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely
pleasurable. Snorting or oral ingestion produces euphoria—a high, but not an intense rush. Snorting
4
produces effects within 3 to 5 minutes, and oral ingestion produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes.

As with many stimulants, methamphetamine is most often misused in a "binge and crash" pattern.
Because the pleasurable effects of methamphetamine disappear even before the drug concentration
in the blood falls significantly, users try to maintain the high by taking more of the drug. In some
cases, people indulge in a form of binging known as a "run," foregoing food and sleep while
37,38,43
continuing to take the drug for up to several days.

How is methamphetamine manufactured?

Currently, most methamphetamine in the United States is produced by transnational criminal
44
organizations (TCOs) in Mexico. This methamphetamine is highly pure, potent, and low in price.
The drug can be easily made in small clandestine laboratories, with relatively inexpensive over-the-
counter ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, a common ingredient in cold medications.

To curb production of methamphetamine, Congress passed the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic

Act in 2005, which requires that pharmacies and other retail stores keep logs of purchases of
products containing pseudoephedrine and limits the amount of those products an individual can
purchase per day. Restrictions on the chemicals used to make methamphetamine in the United
States have dramatically reduced domestic production of the drug. In 2010, there were 15,256
domestic methamphetamine laboratory incidents—a figure that has fallen over 80 percent to 3,036 in
44
2017. Data on drug seizures indicate that most domestic production of methamphetamine is now

Page 6
conducted in small laboratories that make two ounces or less of the drug using common household
44
items.

Mexico has also tightened its restrictions on pseudoephedrine and other methamphetamine precursor
chemicals. But manufacturers adapt to these restrictions via small- or large-scale
"smurfing" operations: obtaining pseudoephedrine from multiple sources, below the legal thresholds,
using multiple false identifications. Manufacturers in Mexico are also increasingly using a different
production process (called P2P which stands for pseudoephedrine’s precursor chemical, phenyl-2-
propanone) to make methamphetamine that does not require pseudoephedrine.

When methamphetamine is smuggled into the United States in powder or liquid form, domestic
conversion laboratories transform it into crystal methamphetamine. These laboratories do not require
a significant amount of equipment, so they can be small in size and thus easily concealed, which
44
presents challenges to law enforcement agencies. Methamphetamine pressed into a pill form
intended to resemble ecstasy has also recently emerged, potentially in an effort to make
44
methamphetamine more appealing to people who haven’t tried it before. As with other illicit drugs
44
like heroin and cocaine, methamphetamine is also sometimes laced with fentanyl.

Methamphetamine production is also an environmental concern; it involves many easily obtained

chemicals that are hazardous, such as acetone, anhydrous ammonia (fertilizer), ether, red
phosphorus, and lithium. Toxicity from these chemicals can remain in the environment around a
methamphetamine production lab long after the lab has been shut down, causing a wide range of
damaging effects to health. Because of these dangers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
provided guidance on cleanup and remediation of methamphetamine labs.

How is methamphetamine different from other stimulants,

such as cocaine?
The methamphetamine molecule is structurally similar to amphetamine and to the neurotransmitter
dopamine, a brain chemical that plays an important role in the reinforcement of rewarding behaviors,
45
but it is quite different from cocaine. Although these stimulants have similar behavioral and

Page 7
physiological effects, there are some major differences in the basic mechanisms of how they work.

In contrast to cocaine, which is quickly removed from and almost completely metabolized in the body,
methamphetamine has a much longer duration of action, and a larger percentage of the drug remains
unchanged in the body. Methamphetamine therefore remains in the brain longer, which ultimately
46
leads to prolonged stimulant effects.

Although both methamphetamine and cocaine increase levels of dopamine, administration of

methamphetamine in animal studies leads to much higher levels of dopamine, because nerve cells
respond differently to the two drugs. Cocaine prolongs dopamine actions in the brain by blocking the
re-absorption (re-uptake) of the neurotransmitter by signaling nerve cells. At low doses,
methamphetamine also blocks the re-uptake of dopamine, but it also increases the release of
dopamine, leading to much higher concentrations in the synapse (the gap between neurons), which
can be toxic to nerve terminals.38,39

Methamphetamine versus Cocaine

Methamphetamine Cocaine

Stimulant Stimulant and local anesthetic

Man-made Plant-derived

Smoking produces a long-lasting high Smoking produces a brief high

50% of the drug is removed from the body in 12 hours 50% of the drug is removed from the body in 1 hour

Increases dopamine release and blocks dopamine re-

Blocks dopamine re-uptake
uptake

Limited medical use for ADHD, narcolepsy, and weight Limited medical use as a local anesthetic in some
loss surgical procedures

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What are the immediate (short-term) effects of
methamphetamine misuse?
As a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine, even in small doses, can increase wakefulness and
physical activity and decrease appetite. Methamphetamine can also cause a variety of cardiovascular
problems, including rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure. Hyperthermia
(elevated body temperature) and convulsions may occur with methamphetamine overdose, and if not
37,38
treated immediately, can result in death.

The exact mechanisms whereby drugs like methamphetamine produce euphoria (the pleasurable
high) are still poorly understood. But along with euphoria, methamphetamine use releases very high
levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the reward circuit, which "teaches" the brain to repeat the
pleasurable activity of taking the drug. Dopamine is involved in motivation and motor function and its
release in the reward circuit is a defining feature of addictive drugs. The elevated release of dopamine
produced by methamphetamine is also thought to contribute to the drug's deleterious effects on nerve
terminals in the brain.

Short-term effects may include:

increased attention and decreased fatigue
increased activity and wakefulness
decreased appetite
euphoria and rush
increased respiration
rapid/irregular heartbeat
hyperthermia

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What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine misuse?
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many negative consequences, including addiction. Addiction
is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use and accompanied
by functional and molecular changes in the brain.

As is the case with many drugs, tolerance to methamphetamine’s pleasurable effects develops when
it is taken repeatedly. Abusers often need to take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or
change how they take it in an effort to get the desired effect. Chronic methamphetamine abusers may
develop difficulty feeling any pleasure other than that provided by the drug, fueling further abuse.
Withdrawal from methamphetamine occurs when a chronic abuser stops taking the drug; symptoms
43
of withdrawal include depression, anxiety, fatigue, and an intense craving for the drug.

In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, people who use methamphetamine long term may
exhibit symptoms that can include significant anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and
47
violent behavior. They also may display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, visual
and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping under the
48
skin). Psychotic symptoms can sometimes last for months or years after a person has quit using
methamphetamine, and stress has been shown to precipitate spontaneous recurrence of
methamphetamine psychosis in people who use methamphetamine and have previously experienced
49
psychosis.

These and other problems reflect significant changes in the brain caused by misuse of
methamphetamine. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated alterations in the activity of the
6,7,8
dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor speed and impaired verbal learning.
Studies in chronic methamphetamine users have also revealed severe structural and functional
changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of
9,10,11
the emotional and cognitive problems observed in these individuals.

Research in primate models has found that methamphetamine alters brain structures involved in
decision-making and impairs the ability to suppress habitual behaviors that have become useless or
counterproductive. The two effects were correlated, suggesting that the structural change underlies
12
the decline in mental flexibility. These changes in brain structure and function could explain why

Page 10
methamphetamine addiction is so hard to treat and has a significant chance of relapse early in
treatment.

Recovery of Brain Dopamine Transporters in Chronic Methamphetamine

(METH) Users
Methamphetamine misuse greatly reduces the binding of dopamine to dopamine
transporters (highlighted in red and green) in the striatum, a brain area important
in memory and movement. With prolonged abstinence, dopamine transporters in
this area can be restored.

Methamphetamine misuse also has been shown to have negative effects on non-neural brain cells
called microglia. These cells support brain health by defending the brain against infectious agents and
removing damaged neurons. Too much activity of the microglial cells, however, can assault healthy
neurons. A study using brain imaging found more than double the levels of microglial cells in people
who previously misused methamphetamine compared to people with no history of methamphetamine
13
misuse, which could explain some of the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine.

Some of the neurobiological effects of chronic methamphetamine misuse appear to be, at least,
partially reversible. In the study just mentioned, abstinence from methamphetamine resulted in less
excess microglial activation over time, and users who had remained methamphetamine-free for 2
14
years exhibited microglial activation levels similar to the study’s control subjects. A similar study
found that while biochemical markers for nerve damage and viability persist in the brain through 6
months of abstinence from methamphetamine, those markers return to normal after a year or more
15
without taking the drug. Another neuroimaging study showed neuronal recovery in some brain

Page 11
 16
regions following prolonged abstinence (14 but not 6 months). This recovery was associated with
improved performance on motor and verbal memory tests. Function in other brain regions did not
recover even after 14 months of abstinence, indicating that some methamphetamine-induced
changes are very long lasting. Methamphetamine use can also increase one’s risk of stroke, which
can cause irreversible damage to the brain. A recent study even showed higher incidence of
17
Parkinson’s disease among past users of methamphetamine.

In addition to the neurological and behavioral consequences of methamphetamine misuse, long-term

users also suffer physical effects, including weight loss, severe tooth decay and tooth loss ("meth
38
mouth"), and skin sores. The dental problems may be caused by a combination of poor nutrition and
dental hygiene as well as dry mouth and teeth grinding caused by the drug. Skin sores are the result
38
of picking and scratching the skin to get rid of insects imagined to be crawling under it.

Long-term effects may include:

addiction
psychosis, including:
paranoia
hallucinations
repetitive motor activity

changes in brain structure and function

deficits in thinking and motor skills
increased distractibility
memory loss
aggressive or violent behavior
mood disturbances
severe dental problems

Page 12
 weight loss

What are the risks of methamphetamine misuse during

pregnancy?
Our knowledge of the effects of methamphetamine misuse during pregnancy is limited because
studies of this issue have used small samples and did not account for other possible drug use besides
methamphetamine in research samples. But the available research indicates increased rates of
premature delivery, placental abruption (separation of the placental lining from the uterus), and
various effects on babies prenatally exposed to methamphetamine, including small size, lethargy, and
18,19
heart and brain abnormalities.

A large NIDA-funded prospective, longitudinal study examined developmental outcomes in infants

and children born to mothers who misused methamphetamine. In infancy, they were more likely to
20,21
show decreased arousal, increased stress, and poor quality of movement. By ages 1 and 2,
22
toddlers showed delayed motor development. Preschool and school-age children had subtle but
significant attention impairments and were more likely to have cognitive and behavioral issues in
22,23,24,25,26,27
school related to difficulties with self-control and executive function.

Are people who misuse methamphetamine at risk for

contracting HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C?
Methamphetamine misuse raises the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV and hepatitis B and
C—not only for individuals who inject the drug but also for noninjecting methamphetamine users.
Among people who inject drugs, HIV and other infectious diseases are spread primarily through the re-
use or sharing of contaminated syringes, needles, or related paraphernalia. But regardless of how
methamphetamine is taken, its strong effects can alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to

Page 13
engage in risky behaviors like unprotected sex.

Methamphetamine misuse is associated with a culture of risky sexual behavior, both among men who
have sex with men and in heterosexual populations, a link that may be attributed to the fact that
methamphetamine and related stimulants can increase libido. (However, long-term methamphetamine
misuse may be associated with decreased sexual functioning, at least in men.) The combination of
injection practices and sexual risk-taking may result in HIV becoming a greater problem among
people who misuse methamphetamine than among other drug users, and some epidemiologic reports
are already showing this trend. For example, while the link between HIV infection and
methamphetamine misuse has not yet been established for heterosexuals, data show an association
between methamphetamine misuse and the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men.

Methamphetamine misuse may also worsen the progression of HIV disease and its consequences. In
27
animal studies, methamphetamine has been shown to increase viral replication. Clinical studies in
humans suggest that current methamphetamine users taking highly active antiretroviral therapy
(HAART) to treat HIV may be at greater risk of developing AIDS than non-users, possibly because of
28,29
poor medication adherence. Methamphetamine users with HIV also have shown greater neuronal
30, 31, 32
injury and cognitive impairment due to HIV, compared with those who do not misuse the drug.

NIDA-funded research has found that, through substance use disorder treatment, prevention, and
community-based outreach programs, drug users can change their HIV risk behaviors. Drug misuse
and drug-related risk behaviors, such as needle sharing and risky sexual practices, can be reduced
significantly, thus decreasing the risk of exposure to HIV and other infectious diseases. Therefore,
drug treatment is HIV prevention.

Dopamine Pathways

Page 14
 In the brain, dopamine plays an important role in both movement and the reinforcement of
rewarding behaviors. As a major chemical messenger in the reward pathway, dopamine is
manufactured in nerve cell bodies located within a group of neurons called the ventral tegmental
area and is released in the nucleus accumbens, which is a key brain region for learning to repeat
pleasurable activities, as well as in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive
functions like decision-making and self-control. Dopamine’s regulation of motor functions is
linked to a separate pathway: Cell bodies in the substantia nigra manufacture and release
dopamine into the striatum, which is involved in executing and inhibiting movements and reward-
seeking behavior.

What treatments are effective for people who misuse

methamphetamine?
The most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction at this point are behavioral therapies,
such as cognitive-behavioral and contingency management interventions. For example, the Matrix
Model—a 16-week comprehensive behavioral treatment approach that combines behavioral therapy,
family education, individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing, and encouragement for non-
33,34
drug-related activities—has been shown to be effective in reducing methamphetamine misuse.

Page 15
Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging
in treatment and maintaining abstinence, have also been shown to be effective. Motivational
Incentives for Enhancing Drug Abuse Recovery (MIEDAR), an incentive-based method for promoting
cocaine and methamphetamine abstinence, has demonstrated efficacy among methamphetamine
35
misusers through NIDA’s National Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network.

Although medications have proven effective in treating some substance use disorders, there are
currently no medications that counteract the specific effects of methamphetamine or that prolong
abstinence from and reduce the misuse of methamphetamine by an individual addicted to the drug.

What treatments are under development for

methamphetamine use and addiction?
Pharmacological Treatments
There are currently no medications that counteract the specific effects of methamphetamine or that
prolong abstinence from and reduce the use of methamphetamine by an individual addicted to the
drug. NIDA has made research on the development of medications to treat addiction to stimulants and
other drugs a priority, and NIDA-funded researchers are investigating a number of pharmacological
approaches for treating methamphetamine use disorder.

When developing drug treatments, researchers typically examine the impact of potential medications
that have neurobiological effects that may counter the known physiological consequences of chronic
methamphetamine use. They may also test medications that have shown promise in treating other
addictions or other psychiatric disorders. The following targets and strategies have shown promise in
15,16
animal or human studies related to methamphetamine use disorder:

Page 16
The neuroimmune system: Chronic methamphetamine use is associated with activation of microglia,
cells that mediate inflammation in the central nervous system. Drugs like ibudilast and minocycline
are being studied for their capacity to inhibit activation of microglia.

Cognitive enhancement: Chronic methamphetamine use is also associated with cognitive problems,
such as impaired decision-making and impaired behavioral inhibition. Several drugs are under
investigation for their potential to improve cognition in people who use methamphetamine.

Dopamine agonist treatment: Medications based on activation of the same receptors targeted by an
addictive drug are effective in treating other addictions, such as the use of methadone or
buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder and the use of nicotine replacement to assist smoking
cessation. Since methamphetamine targets the dopamine system, some stimulant medications that
activate dopamine receptors (agonists) and that are often used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) are being investigated as potential medications to treat methamphetamine use
disorder.

Other monoamine (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) targets: Methamphetamine withdrawal

symptoms are similar to depression, leading researchers to investigate the utility of antidepressants
that act on the serotonin and norepinephrine systems for methamphetamine use disorder.
Antipsychotic medications also act on the dopamine system and may have promise for ameliorating
the effects of chronic methamphetamine use.

The opioid system: The euphoric effects of addictive drugs likely involve the opioid system. Candidate
medications in this category include the opioid antagonist naltrexone (currently being studied in
combination with the antidepressant bupropion) and the opioid partial agonist buprenorphine.

GABA and glutamate systems: Several medications targeting disruptions in the balance of excitation
and inhibition (mediated by the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate) are being investigated to
treat methamphetamine use disorder.

Hormones: The hormones cholecystokinin-8 and oxytocin have both shown promise in reducing the
rewarding properties of methamphetamine in animals.

Page 17
Nonpharmacological Treatments
Nonpharmacological treatments do not involve use of medications. Such therapies may instill
behavioral changes by altering brain activity patterns (TMS), helping people learn how to monitor and
control brain activity to curb symptoms of addiction (neurofeedback), or keeping drugs out of the brain
(vaccines). Although further research is needed on these approaches, they may provide additional
options for treatment providers and patients.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: TMS is a noninvasive method of stimulating the brain using
magnetic pulses for therapeutic purposes. Researchers are studying this approach as a treatment for
52
substance use disorders, but this work is in very early stages.

Neurofeedback: Neurofeedback (also called neurotherapy or neurobiofeedback) is a type of

biofeedback that uses real-time displays of brain activity—most commonly
electroencephalography—to teach people how to regulate their own brain function. In one study,
neurofeedback to treatment for methamphetamine use disorder reduced addiction severity and
53
improved mental health and overall quality of life.

Vaccines and antibodies: Methamphetamine vaccines, which recruit the body’s immune system to
54
keep the drug from entering the brain, are currently being tested in animals, and a human clinical
trial is currently underway to test an immunologic agent called a monoclonal antibody, which binds to
methamphetamine and neutralizes it before it can exert its effects.

Where can I get further information about

methamphetamine?
To learn more about methamphetamine and other drugs of abuse, visit the NIDA Web site at
drugabuse.gov or contact the DrugPubs Research Dissemination Center at 877-NIDA-NIH (877-643-
2644; TTY/TDD: 240-645-0228) or online at drugpubs.drugabuse.gov.

What’s on the NIDA Web Site

Page 18
 Information on drugs of abuse and related health consequences
NIDA publications, news, and events
Resources for health care professionals
Funding information (including program announcements and deadlines)
International activities
Links to related Web sites (access to websites of many other organizations in the field)

NIDA Web Sites

drugabuse.gov
teens.drugabuse.gov

Other Resources
Information on drug misuse and other mental disorders is also available through these websites:

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA.
Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse;
National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

References
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March 22, 2013.

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