You may have heard about "meth" (short for methamphetamines) on TV or in the news. Perhaps you know someone who has experimented with it. Maybe you've tried meth yourself. Or maybe you've been offered this drug without knowing it. Whatever your own experience with meth, if you care about your health, please read on.

Meth is in the category of drugs called stimulants. These drugs increase heart rate, brain activity, breathing and blood pressure. They can cause sweating, blurred vision, dry mouth, hot flashes, dizziness and headaches.

Meth can come in pill, crystal or injectable form.

It is also known as speed, uppers, crystal meth, chalk, ice, glass, copilots, Christmas tree or crank (when injected).

Meth offers a quick high -- people using meth typically feel euphoric and full of energy. Users believe the drug will let their bodies work, and work without getting tired.

However, meth has many seriously harmful effects on the body and brain. Long-term use of meth causes permanent brain damage, including memory and body control problems. When used in larger doses, methamphetamines can cause dangerously low body temperature, confusion, convulsions and death.

To add to the risk of using meth, different "meth cooks" make it differently. You never know for sure what's in a particular batch of meth and how your body will react to it. Battery acid and drain cleaner are two toxic ingredients that have been used to make this artificial drug.

Sound appealing? Have you ever seen a battery that has been corroded with acid? Would you willingly put that in your body?

Even the production of this drug has caused major problems in the United States, due to the dangerous vapors and flammability of its ingredients. You may have heard that the state of Pennsylvania is cautioning hunters and hikers to not open or smell the contents of suspicious-looking bottles dumped in the woods because they may contain chemicals used in the making of meth. Houses where the drug is produced are always condemned and destroyed.

The number of teens and young adults who use meth is rising in the United States, partly because it is cheap and highly addictive. And though the percentage of people who use it is still lower than those who use alcohol and marijuana, people perceive drug use as higher than it really is.

For example, according to an October 2002 Penn State Pulse survey, about 94 percent of Penn State students say they never use club or designer drugs (including GHB, Ecstasy, MDMA, Rohypnol and Ketamine).

But, according to the survey, students think that about 30 percent of other Penn State students do use these drugs frequently. The perception of how many students use drugs does not match what students actually report.

Another example: Less than 4 percent of Penn State students report that they use amphetamines, and most of these students say they use them infrequently. But these same students thought that half of other students used them infrequently.

The bottom line is: Never take a drug or medication somebody gives you.

Methamphetamines are not safe to use or experiment with, and they are not a cool thing to do. Stay in the majority -- don't use meth. The price of a quick high from meth can be brain damage and physical damage, or even death.