Attorneys In Austin: Charged with a Meth Offense

Whether you are presently under investigation for a drug crime involving Methamphetamine or have already been arrested, it's important to retain criminal defense representation from skilled Austin Criminal Attorney. Texas has some of the strictest illegal drug laws in the nation, and the authorities and prosecutors involved in your criminal case are not going to let you off easy. By working with an attorney who has substantial knowledge, ability, and practice in this area of criminal law, your chances of resolving your case effectively increase immensely.

Methamphetamine is the illegal drug with the fastest growing rate of abuse in the U.S. More U.S. counties (48%) report that meth may be the primary illegal drug problem in the country - more than cocaine (22%), marijuana (22%) and heroin (3%) put together. Methamphetamine lab seizures have risen 577 percent nationally since 1995. Meth, or "speed," "crank," "chalk," or "ice" among many others, has been addicting people for decades. But illegal production and use of the very addictive stimulant have skyrocketed in the last number of years, spawning what some specialists call America's first rural drug epidemic. Methamphetamine is a potent stimulant that can cause a high that will last from 6 to Twenty four hours. Once preferred largely by West Coast motorcycle gangs, methamphetamine is now spreading across the nation. As outlined by US government surveys, treatment for Methamphetamine addiction has more than quadrupled since 1993. More than Twelve million men and women above the age of Twelve have experimented with methamphetamine, including one out of 10 high school students (according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

What is Methamphetamine

Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that instantly has an effect on the pleasure centers within the brain. With recurrent use of meth, it turns off the brain's capacity to generate dopamine which simply leaves the users of meth incapable of enjoying anything else but more meth. Methamphetamine is usually smoked, injected intravenously, snorted, or ingested orally. The drug alters mood in different ways, dependent on how it is utilized.

Meth is known to increase the user's heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and respiratory rate, a loss of appetite, sleep, reaction time, and lung function. Extended use of methamphetamine can result in a variety of conditions for instance "meth mouth", depression, amphetamine psychosis, obsessive scratching, anorexia, unfavorable social behavior, every kind of child neglect, neglect of hygiene and property, prenatal exposure, dangerous sexual behavior linked to the spread of HIV as well as STD's, aggressive behavior, criminal tendencies, and death through the collapse of the cardiovascular system and/or bleeding of the brain, cardiac arrest or hypothermia. In addition, there are various side affects linked to overdose which include death, brain damage, feelings of flesh crawling bugs associated with compulsive picking and infecting sores, muscle breakdown resulting in kidney failure, hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. These unpleasant conditions connected with methamphetamine don't even include all of the mishaps and deaths that could occur during the cooking procedure as a result of fires, explosions, and getting into contact with highly dangerous chemicals usually while the user is high.

Varieties of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is known as a central nervous system stimulant with a significant potential for abuse and dependence. A synthetic illegal drug, Methamphetamine is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but creates increased effects on the central nervous system. The drug's euphoric effects are comparable to, but longer lasting than those associated with cocaine. It typically exists in three forms:

Powder: an odorless, white, and bitter-tasting crystalline powder, quickly soluble in alcohol or water.

Crystal: Individuals will smoke chunks of a highly pure form of crystalline Methamphetamine called "Ice".

Rock: Big chunks of the drug, typically found in yellow, usually are ingested orally.

Warning signs of Meth Addiction

Individuals can become addicted the very first time they take methamphetamine, and the dependency is one of the most difficult to cure. Individuals that take methamphetamine may become aggressive and paranoid, and the drug can cause heart attacks and death.

Addicts are chronic methamphetamine users completely centered on avoiding the "crash ", a period of low energy and deep depression that develops after the user stops using the drug. Throughout the crash, an individual frequently sleeps, even as much as a few days at a time, leaving kids unsupervised.

Meth addiction is quick, as is the devastation within the user 's family and way of life. Drug tolerance to meth develops quickly, and the user typically continues his impairment by abusing other drugs or alcohol, an activity known as "tweaking ", to alleviate the extremely unpleasant feeling after the binge. The tweaker is usually paranoid and experiences a period of delusions and hallucinations during which violent reactions to otherwise harmless stimuli are common. Often times, it is children that happen to be in the way.

The horror of meth abuse just cannot be overstated.

History of Methamphetamine

Meth was first produced in Germany in 1887, but not for recreational use that we find today. The drug was produced to take care of various types of depression, weight control (obesity), narcolepsy, and alcoholism. In the Second World War, Methamphetamine was widely used by Nazi soldiers. Hitler's troops, aviators, and tank crews received chocolate laced with Methamphetamine on a regular basis. After the war, through the 1970's, the drug was commonly used primarily for medical reasons and one could acquire a legal of Meth. It was not until the 1980's that we began to see Methamphetamine being manufactured for recreational purposes. By the mid- 1980's we started to notice methamphetamine being manufactured illicitly in Texas, and since that time, the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamine has spread like htc wildfire.

Challenges for Law Enforcement

The addictive nature of meth generates numerous difficulties for police officers. People generally become hooked after a single use of the drug and find it extremely hard to later cease using meth. Users, dealers and traffickers often target young teenagers to start using methamphetamine. The DEA has found evidence of this by the rise in availability of flavored methamphetamine. Flavors such as strawberry also known as "strawberry quick," cola, and chocolate flavored meth have been discovered by authorities in California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Minnesota.

Safety is also an enormous impediment for law enforcement when they happen to find a covert meth lab. It is a common practice for small meth lab operators to surround their laboratories with booby traps, designed to seriously injure intruders. A number of these booby traps consist of rigged shot guns behind doors and appliances, traps that release poisonous fumes, and even dangerous snakes.

People who violate the law by manufacturing, possessing, or distributing meth typically break the law in various other ways also - due to or in support of their methamphetamine habit. Numerous law enforcement agencies will point to the connection between methamphetamine manufacturers and methamphetamine addicts and criminal acts including: homicide, domestic abuse, illegal possession of weapons, theft and identity fraud.

Methamphetamine Defense: Hire the Recommended Austin Attorney

Whatever illegal drug charges you are defending, it is of the utmost necessity for you to retain the services of The Finest Attorneys In Austin who will fight to prevent the severe penalties that are the result of a drug-related conviction. Even if it is your original criminal offense, you might have to deal with a required jail sentence, as well as sizeable fines and a felony on your record.

The law firm you hire to defend you can make a significant difference in whether you win your case and steer clear of a life-altering conviction. Even so, in a city like Houston, TX, discovering the right Austin Criminal Attorneys can be a challenge. When evaluating a Houston drug defense legal professional to manage your case, you must find a lawyer who's experienced, but who is also able to create innovative defense strategies for fighting your criminal charges. Ultimately, most legal professionals are informed about the law, but Lawyer Johnson is skilled at utilizing his expertise in the law to produce unquestionably inventive and effective ways to defend his clients against their criminal charges.

If you or a close friend has been arrested for an offense related to Meth possession, manufacturing or distribution in Houston, Texas, obtain the assistance of the Leading Austin Criminal Attorney as soon as possible.