Researchers at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health believe they have found a possible link between the heavy use of methamphetamines and schizophrenia.

Using hospital records obtained from 1990 through 2000 at a California hospital researchers compared results from drug users to a control group of non-drug users to determine the direct effects meth use has on the mental condition. Researchers studied the records of each patients for up to 10 years from the time of their initial hospital visit.

According to the study’s co-author Russell Callaghan meth users who did not have psychotic symptoms at the start of the study period were 1.5 to 3.0 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia at a later time if meth addiction was discovered.

The study examined 42,412 meth users and was published on Tuesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Dr. Stephen Kish, head of CAMH’s Human Brain Laboratory told the CBC:

“We really do not understand how these drugs might increase schizophrenia risk,”

“Perhaps repeated use of methamphetamine and cannabis in some susceptible individuals can trigger latent schizophrenia by sensitizing the brain to dopamine, a brain chemical thought to be associated with psychosis.”

While a link appears to be prevalent researchers conducting the study were quick to point out that more studies are needed.

The study is important because Meth and other amphetamine-type stimulants are thought to be the second most widely used class of illegal drugs in the world.

Given what the drug has been shown to do with human brains I’m not surprised by the findings. Do the new research studies results surprise you?

[Images via ShutterStock.com]

Heavy Meth Use Linked To Schizophrenia is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is why you need to stay in school, kids- Meth Bible Camp is all that awaits you.

[reddit]

At the Junction of Teen Mom Blvd. and Emo Lane is a post from: The Inquisitr

Not even once.

Math… is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tennis legend Andre Agassi admits to being a crystal meth user in 1997 in his forthcoming autobiography, according to multiple online reports.

News of Agassi being a meth user started when Sport Illustrated’s Richardd Deitsch tweeted that “Book excerpt from Andre Agassi in the forthcoming SI: He admits to taking crystal meth during his career,” with further details cascading from there.

Multiple outlets are running excerpts from the book, with the best value coming from The Times of London (via ESPN) who quotes the section extensively. The excerpts note that Agassi’s assistant “Slim” was the one who introduced him to the drug.

“Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed” Agassi writes. “There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful — and I’ve never felt such energy.”

Agassi was still playing tennis at the time, and married actress Brooke Shields later that year. Agassi’s autobiography is released November 9 and is available for pre-order on Amazon here.

Andre Agassi Admits to Meth Use In New Book is a post from: The Inquisitr

A woman from Cedartown, Georgia, was arrested July 28 after police found that she had been stuffing her bra, with a pound of methamphetamine.

Oralia Ramirez, 37, has been charged with trafficking in a controlled substance. She was taken to the DeKalb County jail on Wednesday where she is awaiting her bail to be set by a judge.

DeKalb County Sheriff, Jimmy Harris, told the press that agents with the DeKalb County Drug Task Force and Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit pulled over a 1991 Plymouth Acclaim that Ramirez was driving at the intersection of Highway 68 and Highway 168 around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, for a traffic violation.

Harris said Ramirez submitted to a search of herself and her car. He said Crossville Police Officer Ada Hamilton patted her down and felt something was not right. That’s when they found a pound of Meth in ice form in her bra.

The drugs are estimated to have a street value of about $13,000.

Woman arrested with pound of Meth in her bra is a post from: The Inquisitr

What ever the f*&k this is isn’t normal. But on Meth it is. Meth: not even once.

Meth: not even once is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is not normal. But on Meth it is. Meth, not even once.

Meth, not even once is a post from: The Inquisitr

Fergie, now known as “The Digital Duchess,” runs through her various uses of her HP computer in the one minute spot:

“My computer is like a virtual autobiography… I love finding new dance moves online… Totally reminds me of my first tour with the Peas… Check it out, my new shoe line. Working on an eco-friendly style next. Green is the new black, baby… My computer holds my past but there’s plenty of room in there for my future.”“My computer is like a virtual autobiography… I love finding new dance moves online… Totally reminds me of my first tour with the Peas… Check it out, my new shoe line. Working on an eco-friendly style next. Green is the new black, baby… My computer holds my past but there’s plenty of room in there for my future.”

The interesting part of the commercial isn’t yet another popstar pimping computers for a living, it’s what’s missing from the commercial: Fergies head!

Most of the time all we see of Fergie is her body, and occasionally the very bottom of her head, including chin and mouth. Where her head comes into full shot (nearly) at 0:45, it is obscured by some sort of large plastic object.

Fergie does have an amazing voice, but a stint on crystal meth left her early attractive looks looking a little the worse for wear. Still, to nearly entirely exclude the head of a celebrity in a celebrity endorsement is taking things to extremes…her head may be a little wicked, but it doesn’t scare small children…well mostly.

Here’s the (mostly) headless Fergie HP commercial:

Fergie HP Commercial avoids showing Fergie’s head is a post from: The Inquisitr