Meth has been used and abused for years.
Adolph Hitler used methamphetamine through injections and pills during the war.
Allied bomber pilots and Japanese factory workers used Dexedrine to maximize their war effort.
Japanese Kamikaze pilots took methamphetamine for their suicidal missions.
50s:
Housewives were prescribed amphetamines to aid with weight loss, boredom and depression.
College students used amphetamines to stay awake while studying.
Truck drivers used them to keep alert on long trips.
Athletes used them to enhance performance.
60s:
Use changed to injectable methamphetamine and speed rose to popularity in California.
Meth became associated with the biker gangs of that region.
70s: Meth (or speed) was regulated in the Controlled Substances Act.
80s: Mexican drug manufacturers began bringing meth north of the border. The greatest use was seen in the Southwest and Western United States.
In the 90s Meth use began to grow in the rural Midwest. Smaller labs began to pop up in greater numbers.
Today efforts to curb its progress have resulted in grassroots efforts and public policy work trying to stop the precursor ingredients used to manufacture Meth.
