How to Identify Meth Pipes & Methamphetamine Pipes Paraphernalia. Types of Pipe for Meth. What Do Meth Pipes Look Like? Meth Pipe Risks & Effects of Meth Addiction.

Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 0.9% (or about 2.6 million people) reported using methamphetamine in the past 12 months.

Source: 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

In 2020, approximately 23,837 people died from an overdose involving psychostimulants with abuse potential other than cocaine (primarily methamphetamine). 

Source: CDC

What Does a DIY Homemade Meth Pipe Look Like?

Homemade meth pipes can be manufactured from aluminum soda cans, GHB vials, and light bulbs. DIY meth pipes and discreet meth pipes can be crafted from household items like glass pipes and aluminum cans. Homemade meth pipes made from makeshift materials may cause harm, including cuts, burns, and blisters around the mouth area. This may lead to infections. “Meth pipe for sale” can be made and sold by drug traffickers or purchased in smoking or vaping shops.

Smoking with a meth bubbler pipe, especially one made of Pyrex, was considered the best meth pipe, not to mention the safest way to smoke crystal meth. This method involves putting the crystals in the pipe’s bowl and using a torch lighter to heat the bowl from below but keeping it an inch away. The crystal meth turns to liquid and vapor, which the user inhales.

Uncovering a meth pipe may be easier than you think. Look for signs of heat damage, discoloration, or residue. Meth remains can be in the form of powder or sticky residue. Remember, meth pipes are small and portable, usually a few inches long. They come in different shapes but are often straight or slightly curved with a cylindrical or rounded chamber.

What Does Meth Pipes Look Like?

Risks From Using a Meth Pipe

Crystal meth smoking is linked with many adverse health effects, including the potential for transmission of hepatitis.  Crystal methamphetamine smoking has also been linked with risky sexual behaviors. Studies show crystal meth increases sex drive and can enable longer sexual episodes; it also leads to drying of the mucosa, which can cause tears in the genital region and facilitate the transmission of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.

Here are some ways to reduce the risks of using a meth pipe.

• Do not use someone else’s meth pipe. This will help you avoid getting or spreading the infection.
• Use a shatterproof Pyrex meth pipe. Other meth pipes can get too hot or give off toxic fumes.
• Avoid using broken or cracked meth pipes. Damaged meth pipes can lead to burns, cuts, and infections.
• Drink water, use lip balm, and chew gum. These things will help keep your mouth moist and reduce cracks, blisters, and the risk of infection.

What is an Electronic Meth Pipe?

Electronic smoking has skyrocketed in the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released data on the increased popularity of such devices and stated that e-cigarette use among teens alone tripled between 2013 and 2014. “SNL’s” “electronic meth pipe” skit aired at the height of this surge in late 2013. Drug dealers and young adults are indeed modifying vape devices and liquidizing meth so that it can be enjoyed in a more concealed manner.

Because of Meth’s small molecular size, it has a low boiling point and evaporates quickly when heated by a vape coil. Hence, the process of altering devices for electronic-meth use is much more straightforward than it may seem. The increased popularity of such devices allows Meth, the most abused hard drug in the world, to be enjoyed under the radar by an increasing number of meth users. America is so focused on fighting the opioid crisis that minimal investigation has gone into vaporized-meth use.

Electronic Meth pipes and devices eliminate several physical health problems linked with traditional meth smoking, causing meth users to overlook many potential risks. Due to how vapor latches to the lungs, vaping meth transports the illegal drug to the brain faster than smoking. In return, this increases the risk of over-usage and dependence. And, no matter how the drug is delivered into one’s system, it’s still Meth, which means the psychological and neurological effects are still the same. Even with a single dosage of meth, the drug permanently alters the structure of the brain’s neurons and may onset disorders such as amphetamine-induced psychosis or dementia.

Health Effects of Meth Use on the Heart

Meth’s stimulant effects can heavily raise the person’s heart rate; over time, chronic and excessive use of this drug can result in heart palpitations. This alarming symptom is usually experienced as a powerful pounding in the neck or chest. Crystal meth use can also lead to arrhythmia and an irregular heartbeat.

These can feel like a “skipped” heartbeat, and if the arrhythmia becomes severe, it can lead to collapse, lightheadedness, or even cardiac arrest. In addition, overuse of meth can raise blood pressure, and chronic high blood pressure can damage arteries over time, causing them to harden and block blood flow to various organs. Unfortunately, the symptoms can be silent as the damage transpires, and meth users may not be aware of the harm to their bodies until it’s too late.

Health Effects of Meth Use on the Brain

Chronic and long-term use of meth can alter brain functioning, leading to memory loss, altered moods, poor decision-making, and impulsivity. It can potentially damage the central nervous system. Crystal meth use disorder is a complex brain disease affecting a person’s well-being and the entire family. Treatment for crystal meth addiction is possible with active engagement, incentive-based approaches, and timely access to appropriate and structured treatment, including family-centered therapy.

Meth often causes neuropsychiatric symptoms like psychosis, anxiety, and hallucinations. Meth’s effects on brain cells can further lead to psychosis, with symptoms like paranoia and hallucinations similar to schizophrenia. Although these symptoms may resolve over 1–6 months after quitting, some crystal meth users find that they persist in the long term, and relapse of psychotic symptoms can occur even after a long period of abstinence. 

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines that are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 

Medication-Assisted Meth Treatments

Medication-Assisted Treatments (MAT) for substance use and mental health disorders are commonly used in conjunction. This includes the use of medications and other medical procedures. During your rehab, the staff from your treatment facility will help you identify what caused your addiction and teach you skills that will help you change your behavior patterns and challenge the negative thoughts that led to your addiction. Sometimes, the pressures and problems in your life make you rely on substances to help you forget about them momentarily. The meth effects on the nervous system can be treated simultaneously with the help of therapies.

If you or a loved one is struggling with crystal meth smoke addiction or a high-functioning meth addict, call today to speak with one of our treatment specialists. Your call is private and confidential, and there is never any obligation. The We Level Up NJ treatment center network offers nationwide facilities. Connect with one of our rehab specialists.