Why in news?
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported a surge in methamphetamine production and trafficking primarily centered in Myanmar's Shan State, with trafficking routes expanding through Southeast Asia
 
About

• Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant used recreationally and, less commonly, as a medical treatment for ADHD and obesity.
• Methamphetamine exists as two forms, levo-methamphetamine and dextro-methamphetamine, with effects similar to amphetamines.
• It boosts the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, resulting in increased energy, decreased appetite, and elevated mood.

Effects on the Body and Brain

• Short-term effects include increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, euphoria, and increased sexual desire.
• However, overdose or extended use can cause psychosis, seizures, muscle breakdown, brain bleeding, severe dental decay ("meth mouth"), and skin sores.
• Chronic use leads to neurotoxic effects such as damage to dopamine neurons and reduced grey matter in brain regions, as well as behavioral issues like paranoia, hallucinations, and aggression.​

Medical and Legal Status

• Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it is available only under strict prescription for medical uses like ADHD treatment.
• Its illicit form, often called "crystal meth," is illegally synthesized and has a high potential for abuse and addiction.​

Methamphetamine is classified as a psychotropic substance under India's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, making its manufacture, possession, transport, import, export, sale, purchase, and use illegal except under strict licensing. 

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