| Summary: | Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that is created illegally in clandestine laboratories using a variety of household chemicals, including ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, that is extracted from over the counter medications. There is no legally available alternative drug. Methamphetamine comes as a white powder or a crystal format and can be sniffed up the nose or mixed with water and injected. The production of methamphetamine is dangerous and produces large volumes of toxic chemical waste. In 2006, Canada introduced new regulations to limit access to the precursor chemicals needed to produce methamphetamine including the move to keep ephedrine-containing products behind the pharmacy counter. The prevalence of methamphetamine use in Canada is low, with about 0.2% of the population reported to use the substance; however, it would appear that the availability of methamphetamine in Canada has recently increased. There was a 590% increase in the number of methamphetamine-related drug offences and seizures between 2010 and 2017
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