Methamphetamine

Brief Description

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug that is similar in structure to amphetamine. Due to its high potential for abuse, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. Although methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed are much lower than those typically abused. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment. Learn more

Statistics and Trends

2012 Monitoring the Future (MTF) Study: for 8th-Graders, 10th-Graders, and 12th-Graders (in percent)*
Drug	Time Period	8th- Graders	10th- Graders	12th- Graders
Methamphetamine	Lifetime	1.3	1.8	1.7
	Past Year	1	1	1.1
	Past Month	0.5	0.6	0.5

* Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year.

Previous MTF Data

2011 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for Ages 12 and Older (in percent)*
Drug	Time Period	Ages 12 or Older	Ages 12-17	Ages 18-25	Ages 26 or Older
Methamphetamine**	Lifetime	[4.6]	0.7	[3.4]	5.3
	Past Year	0.4	0.4	0.7	0.4
	Past Month	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.2

* Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year.

**The National Survey on Drug Use and Health includes measures of methamphetamine use under the category of prescription stimulants.

Previous NSDUH Data

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