HOSPITALS REPORT SURGE IN EMERGENCIES LINKED TO METHAMPHETAMINE.Byline: Frank Sweeney and Brandon Bailey Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire California hospitals are seeing the ugly aftermath of a resurgence in illegal methamphetamine use: a stunning jump in emergency room treatment for heart attacks, seizures and episodes of paranoia. A new study shows ``speed''-related emergency room admissions increased 49 percent in 1994. And much of that surge has involved suburban white males. Santa Clara County recorded a 113 percent increase in hospitalizations for speed-related problems - up from 182 in 1993 to 387 cases in 1994, the most recent year for which figures were available, according to the report by the Public Statistics Institute of Irvine. The statewide increase - from 6,817 hospital admissions in 1993 to 10,167 in 1994 - was the largest ever recorded for an illicit drug illicit drug Street drug, see there , the report states. It also found more speed users are suffering serious health problems after years of abuse. The report's principal author, James Cunningham, said the statistics show serious illness related to the abuse of amphetamines Amphetamines Sympathomimetic amines; sometimes called speed; synthetic chemicals that stimulate the central nervous system. Mentioned in: Weight Loss Drugs amphetamines , primarily methamphetamine, is increasing at a record rate. ``Among whites, methamphetamine is producing more health problems than cocaine ever did,'' Cunningham said. ``Other groups will follow if these growth rates Growth Rates The compounded annualized rate of growth of a company's revenues, earnings, dividends, or other figures. Notes: Remember, historically high growth rates don't always mean a high rate of growth looking into the future. continue.'' Hospital admissions for amphetamine amphetamine (ămfĕt`əmēn), any one of a group of drugs that are powerful central nervous system stimulants. Amphetamines have stimulating effects opposite to the effects of depressants such as alcohol, narcotics, and barbiturates. abuse rose slowly during the 1980s, declined in 1990 and 1991, and then surged by 1994, the latest year for which complete data was available to the researchers. While whites constitute more than half the general population, the report said, they account for 76 percent of hospital admissions for amphetamine-caused health problems. Typically the drug's users suffer from paranoia, delirium delirium Condition of disorientation, confused thinking, and rapid alternation between mental states. The patient is restless, cannot concentrate, and undergoes emotional changes (e.g., anxiety, apathy, euphoria), sometimes with hallucinations. , body overheating Overheating An economy that is growing very quickly, with the risk of high inflation. , muscle tremors, seizures, chest pain, shortness of breath Shortness of Breath Definition Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient's level of physical activity. , hypertension, palpitations, arrhythmia arrhythmia (ārĭth`mēə), disturbance in the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. Various arrhythmias can be symptoms of serious heart disorders; however, they are usually of no medical significance except in the presence of and heart attacks. Also known as speed or ``crank,'' the powdery pow·der·y adj. 1. Composed of or similar to powder. 2. Dusted or covered with or as if with powder. 3. Easily made into powder; friable. Adj. 1. chemical is primarily produced in clandestine drug labs in Mexico and rural areas of California. While heroin and crack cocaine are the drugs of choice in inner cities, amphetamine use is skyrocketing in suburban areas, the report said. That's a change from a decade ago, when speed was viewed more as a problem associated with motorcycle gangs and blue-collar abusers. The report's findings are no surprise to police. ``For the last three or four years, there's been really a marked increase in use and trafficking of methamphetamine in the San Jose area,'' said Tyler Keeler Keel´er n. 1. One employed in managing a Newcastle keel; - called also keelman ltname>. 2. A small or shallow tub; esp., one used for holding materials for calking ships, or one used for washing dishes, etc. , a narcotics investigator for the San Jose Police Department. ``It's the fastest-growing drug of choice right now.'' Keeler agreed that methamphetamine is increasingly popular among young and middle-class drug users. But he added: ``You can't say there's one particular demographic group that uses crank. Hispanics, whites, African-Americans, Asians; . . . it cuts across the board. I've seen kids as young as 13 using crank - all the way up to people in their 40s and 50s.'' San Francisco continued to have the highest rate of amphetamine-related hospital admissions, the new study found, but Sacramento County has climbed into second place. Lynne Andersen, spokeswoman for the state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, said amphetamine use has surged in recent years because it is relatively inexpensive and readily available to many young people, particularly young white males, as the party drug of choice. ``They're employed, they have some disposable income they can set aside for so-called party drugs,'' Andersen said. ``In the short run,'' she said, ``methamphetamine is seen as a drug that enhances social activities, could enhance sexual activities, but the long-term effects of the drug on health are very dangerous.'' |
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