The smell of meth?

[2sunny]

I am trying to determine what the smell is on an acquaintance - who I believe does meth...

 

I don't have a good sense of smell to begin with and I'm not sure what it should smell like...

 

His body scent gives off an odor that I have never smelled before and I know he doesn't use any cologne...so it makes me wonder if that is what a meth user smells like???

 

I am baffled!

 

Please advise - if you can...

[Art_Critic]

I had heard the odor of cat urine is a sign of meth use..

[Guest]

it would stink not like cologne

[Guest]

It can smell alot of different ways, but a strong chemicle odor is usually the best indicator. Other ways to tell if they are using, oily skin, can't sit still, wierd sleep paterns, mood swings, lack of appetite, paranoid, and alot more. But you should be able to spot a few of those, not just the odor.

[Blackfrost]

the smell is a very nasty chemical smell, much like amonia

[beach]

the smell is a very nasty chemical smell, much like amonia

 

And what's the difference between the smell of meth and the smell of crack?

 

Do they smell as one in the same or is there a difference?

[Blackfrost]

crack has a sweet smell to it, when it's being smoked. I never really smelled on someones skin, like you can with meth users who tend to give off the odor within a few hours of using.

[SoCalCatman72]

Hi, I have a wee bit of personal experience in this matter so......

 

Meth User Body Odor - the odor tends to be sharp, chemical, like a mixture of vinegar and ammonia, primarily due to the fact that highly toxic and non-biodegradable chemicals are used in the manufacture of the drug. When the active ingredient (hydrogenated pseudoephedrine, or in the old days ephedra) is absorbed by the body, the remaining manufacture chemicals (as well as whatever crap they used to stomp the stuff) are dumped into the body's waste disposal system. Additionally, chronic meth users tend to not shower, so if the odor worsens over time that's a good indicator.

 

Additional indicators of Chronic Meth Use

Schedule: Meth is a powerful stimulant, the user tends to use all night, then crash the following day, or even worse stay up for days which leads to all sorts of psychological issues.

 

Motions: Chronic users will find it hard to remain still. They seem like they've had way too much coffee. Their eyes tend to dart around, general twitches, excessive arm, leg and hand movements. Facial tics that never manifested before, etc. One very strong indicator is constant touching or picking at the face, especially in males.

 

Appearance: While meth certainly affects appetite and diet, the resulting levels of appetite supression differ from person to person. However a sudden unexplained weight loss in conjunction with other indicators is suspect. Additionally, meth users tend not to care too much about fashion, style, matching colors etc.

 

Behavior: Ah the litmus test. Meth stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, especially the receptors that are activated during sexual arousal. It is extremely common for meth users to have a sudden, acute jump in their level of sexual interest. Accumulation of sex toys, and pornography is pretty much a constant amongst chronic meth users, along with a tendency to isolate themselves with meth, porn and/or sexual partners who are also meth users.

 

Additionally, the pseudoephedrine, as a side effect mimics norepinephrin which stimulates the receptors in your hypothalmus responsible for fight or flight reactions (e.g. fake adrenaline) this causes chronic users to become fearful, jumpy, anxious, paranoid. Hallucinations, both visual and auditory are common and in extreme cases can cause full blown psychosis.

 

I write this only because meth almost destroyed me and I hope I can help others avoid the hell that I have lived. Good luck to your friend.

 

P.S. As to crack, there is generally no residual body odor as crack is composed primarily of Cocaine HCL and Sodium Bicarbonate, both of which are recognized and processed as (natural) salt type elements through the body. However if the crack use becomes chronic, bathing becomes optional and .........