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| A Brief History of Crystal Meth |
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In 1887, amphetamines were first synthesized by a German pharmacologist, Lazar Edeleono. Nearly 30 years later in 1919, methamphetamine (a related compound) was first synthesized from ephedrine in Japan by chemist Nagayoshi Nagai.
In 1927, a British chemist by the name of Gordon Alies discovers the stimulating effects of meth and realizes the potential for increasing alertness, alleviating fatigue and creating euphoria. Alies studies the ability of meth to mimic an adrenaline rush in the body and the well known "fight or flight" response.
In 1932, a U.S. pharmaceutical company buys the patent to Alies discovery. They marketed the drug as a nasal decongestant that could be inhaled and called it Benzedrine.
During WWII, amphetamines were sanctioned by Nazi Germany, the United States and Japan for their energizing and antidepressant properties and given to many men in their militaries. the German military dispensed the stimulant under the trade name Pervitin to troops. The drug was widely distributed across rank and  division, from elite forces to tank crews and aircraft personnel. Chocolates dosed with methamphetamine were known as Fliegerschokolade ("flyer's chocolate") when given to pilots, or Panzerschokolade ("tanker's chocolate") when distributed to tank crews. From 1942 until his death in 1945, Adolf Hitler was given daily intravenous injections of methamphetamine by his personal physician, Theodor Morell, as a treatment for depression and fatigue. It is possible that the Parkinsons-like symptoms which Hitler increasingly developed from 1940 onwards were related to his use of this drug. It is estimated that millions of Japanese soldiers, civilians and defense workers used amphetamines and by the end of the war at least 2% of the adult Japanese population was dependent on the drug.
After World War II, a massive supply of amphetamine, formerly stockpiled by the Japanese military, became available in Japan under the street name shabu (also Philopon its tradename there.) The Japanese Ministry of Health banned it in 1951, which is thought to have added to the growing yakuza activities related to illicit drug production. Today, the Japanese underworld is still associated with the drug, although its use is discouraged by strong social taboos.
 Post war studies of American military prisoners revealed that a notable number of these guys reported abusing inhalers.
In 1959, the first use of intraveneous injection of the contents of the Benzedrine inhaler was reported in the U.S.
In 1971, the last non-prescription inhaler was removed from the U.S. market pursuant to the passage of the Controlled Substance Act of 1970.
In the U.S. there have been 3 distinct methamphetamine epidemics: one in the 1950's, the second in the late 1960's and the current on that began in the 1990's. What makes the current epidemic so concerning is the relationship to the HIV epidemic. |
| Resources |
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Methamphetamine 101:
Update for Physicians and Nurses
Dr. Steve Shoptaw, Ph.D.
(download PDF - 8 mb) |
Crystal Methamphetamine
Mike Rizzo
Program Director, Alternatives
(download PDF - 2.5 mb) |
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