Methamphetamine: The Most Misunderstood Drug?

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Science, Education, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 11.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Methamphetamine has a scary reputation as one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there. But at the same time, it's an FDA-approved drug — and can even be used to treat ADHD in children. So just how dangerous and addictive is meth? And what’s going on in your brain when you use it? We hear from Science Vs listeners who’ve used it — and the scientists who study it, including neuroscientists Professor Martin Paulus and Dr. Jennifer Hsieh, as well as Dr. Kate O'Malley and Dr. Krista Siefried. Find drug use resources here: spotify.com/resources Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMeth In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Methamphetamine: The Scariest Drug (03:44) Super Meth? (04:35) What it feels like to take Meth (05:57) What meth does in the brain (09:20) Can Meth break your brain? (21:51) Meth Mouth: Is it real? (25:55) How Meth Breaks your Heart (26:52) How addictive is Meth? (36:42) New research to help people with Meth Dependence (38:08) Meth: The Most Misunderstood Drug This episode was produced by me Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including, Dr Heather Barkholtz, Professor Nadine Ezard, Dr Nicole Lee, Dr Samantha Brooks, Dr Steph Kershaw, Professor Steven Shoptaw, Dr Susan Calcaterra, Professor Harriet de Wit, and Professor Edyth London. Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to Science Verses.
0:05.2	Today on the show, Methamphetamine.
0:12.7	More and more people in the US are trying it,
0:15.7	and it's got this reputation as being one of the scariest and most addictive drugs out there.
0:22.9	Is that true?
0:25.1	I feel like basically every message that we get about meth is that it's this uniquely
0:30.8	dangerous drug, almost in a category of its own.
0:34.6	Like in this government PSA, you see, a normal teenager whose life is ruined
0:41.0	by it.
0:42.0	I wish my tire had blown out that night.
0:45.4	I wish my cards get it off the road.
0:48.7	I wish I'd broken my neck, but I didn't crash.
0:52.7	I drove to that party and I did meth for the first time.
0:56.4	I did meth, and now this is my line.
1:00.4	And that's the idea, right?
1:01.8	That meth is so addictive that if you try it just once at a party,
1:06.4	you won't be able to stop.
1:08.4	And in the meantime, it'll destroy your life. We hear that meth
1:13.0	will rot your gums, make your teeth fall out. I mean, ever heard of meth mouth? And even worse,
1:20.3	apparently after using meth, your brain will never be the same again. Some people,
1:25.9	they just lose it.
1:32.6	Research shows that taking methamphetamine,
	...

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