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| Crystal meth use 'rivals crack' | Crystal meth use 'rivals crack' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The use of the class A drug crystal meth could be as big a problem as crack cocaine within four years, police warn. | |
| A report for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) predicts that use of the drug is rising. | A report for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) predicts that use of the drug is rising. |
| Crystal meth is a form of amphetamine which has been crystallised so that it can be smoked. | Crystal meth is a form of amphetamine which has been crystallised so that it can be smoked. |
| The report compares the growth in the UK with the pattern of use in Australia and the US where it has reached epidemic levels in some areas. | The report compares the growth in the UK with the pattern of use in Australia and the US where it has reached epidemic levels in some areas. |
| Det Sgt Andy Waite, Acpo's expert on the drug, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme "in the last two or three years" police had seen "a gradual rise in the reporting of the use and manufacturing of the drug" in the UK. | |
| He said the increased use and production of the drug in the UK was "something we are alarmed about" and is being monitored by police. | |
| However, he said it was important to maintain a sense of perspective, pointing out that the problem in the UK is "still relatively minor". | |
| It is actually a very addictive and potentially very dangerous drug Dr Rebecca McKetin | |
| The first crystal meth factory was found in the UK in 2005 and the police have found another 19 since. | The first crystal meth factory was found in the UK in 2005 and the police have found another 19 since. |
| The report for Acpo, which has been seen by BBC Radio 5 Live, notes a small increase in the use of crystal meth, but says there could be a similar growth in Britain to pattern in Australia and the US within the next two years. | |
| Crystal meth was reclassified as a class A substance in the UK in an attempt to clamp down on its use in January last year. | Crystal meth was reclassified as a class A substance in the UK in an attempt to clamp down on its use in January last year. |
| People who use methamphetamine - the drug's proper name - face up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine, while dealers could be jailed for life. | People who use methamphetamine - the drug's proper name - face up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine, while dealers could be jailed for life. |
| It can give a massive high to users, but they can quickly become dependent and it can lead to serious mental health problems. | It can give a massive high to users, but they can quickly become dependent and it can lead to serious mental health problems. |
| Paranoia, kidney failure, violence, internal bleeding and less inhibited sexual behaviour, are among the reported side effects of the drug. | Paranoia, kidney failure, violence, internal bleeding and less inhibited sexual behaviour, are among the reported side effects of the drug. |
| 'Very addictive' | |
| Other risks associated with the synthetic stimulant, which can be smoked or injected, include depression and tooth decay. | Other risks associated with the synthetic stimulant, which can be smoked or injected, include depression and tooth decay. |
| Dr Rebecca McKetin, from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), in Australia, told the BBC even recreational use of the drug was dangerous. | |
| She said: "People are thinking, 'oh, it's ok to go out and smoke it with my friends on a Friday night when I go to the club.' But it kind of creeps up on them and quite a lot of those people are starting to experience problems with their methamphetamine use. | |
| "And I think people here are starting to learn that this is not typical of, you know, a recreational kind of drug. It is actually a very addictive and potentially very dangerous drug." |