Methamphetamine: A mechanism in enforcing gender roles within female

users

Methamphetamine is considered one of the dirtier drugs that plague

the United States. The Not even once campaign speaks directly towards
the aggressive attitude taken towards the drug commonly known as meth
as compared to other illegal substances. What makes meth stand apart
from its other counterparts are the individuals abusing the drug, why they
are using it, and where they are located. However, what ultimately makes
meth unique is its effects on female users. For every drug, the differences
between initiation, motivation for use, and effects vary between male and
female users. The gender differences caused by the abuse of the drug
meth however, has a lasting effect on female users unseen in other
substances. Meth acts as way to enforce binary gender roles that women
have been struggling to break from. An unhealthy cycle is created that
leads to the increased difficulty to break from or even desire to escape the
cycle. Its necessary to investigate the different characteristics of meth
use in order to assist with both rehabilitation and prevention.
Methamphetamine is a stimulant most commonly used as a way to
treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Drawing from the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, the illegally produced form of
methamphetamine, is a white, odorless, bitter tasting crystalline powder
that can be smoked, inhaled (snorted), injected, or orally ingested.
Working with the National Institute of Health, the NIDA presents
information collected from the United States, the location of meth use that
I will be focusing on. The physiological effects are well documented. In the
article Emergency: Methamphetamine Abuse published in The American
Journal of Nursing, Dr. Teena McGuinness explains the effects of CNS
[central nervous system] stimulant. While the substance causes
euphoria and increases alertness while reducing fatigue and appetite
meth also has possible detrimental physical effects. This can range from
skin manifestations in the form of lesions, weight loss, dental problems,
and psychosis, including paranoia and hallucinations (NIDA; McGuinness).
What separates meth from other illegal substances such as cocaine or
heroin is the culture surrounding it. Despite differences in physical effects,
those are simply caused by differences in chemical formula. The culture
that meth has created is the driving force that makes meth unique.
Here is a more in depth look by the National Geographic at the effects
meth has on the brain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POp5GZ_1MBI
The unique close-knit exclusivity of the meth culture is crucial for
laying the groundwork for meths ability to enforce gender roles. To
understand the enclosed group mentality of meth, one must focus on
production and distribution. Within the article home cooking marketing
meth, the main point it is driving forward is that methamphetamine
distribution is personal. The work focuses on the organization of meth
markets and their impact on their
Crystal Meth teens.drugabuse.gov
communities. In a YouTube video, a short
clip from the documentary Unmasked: The Stigma of Meth, inmates
discuss how meth ingrained itself within all aspects of their lives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGT1SbCjzc
The most common image of meth production are the mom-and-pop
labs which operate out of homes or other personal residences, run by
individuals and produced for personal use or selling to close
acquaintances and family (Browstein et al. 2012). What separates meth
from other drugs is the necessity for personal relationships as this is seen
with cooks bring[ing] together family,
friends, buddies into the fold rather than
keeping them separate (Browstein et al.
2012). By involving their entire social
network, it spreads the net of who is
affected by the drug. As will be analyzed
later, this makes it for potential users to be
completely ingrained in the culture and unable to escape. These labs also
stem out of rural and suburban areas, where close relationships allow for
the ability to hide their activities from the authorities. The producers are
able to have control over their market by having their entire social
network involved within production, distribution, or the using of the drug.
As stated by a narcotics detective out of South Carolina, they reveal that
Its very seldom youll find someone no one knows show up and buy
meth (Browstein et al. 2012). With such a closed off network, meths
effects on its users is much more pronounced. They lack access to
outsiders and are therefore more susceptible to the culture surrounding
meth. As we will see, this plays a crucial role within the female users
experience due to the fact they are completely immersed within the meth
culture and are therefore are more impacted by the social effects.
The concentration of meth use within rural and suburban areas
plays a great role within the female meth users experience. Unlike the
image of inner city crack heads meth use appears within areas believed
to be immune to the problems of the city. In Miriam Boeris book Women
On Ice: Methamphetamine Use Among Suburban Women, she explores
how the location of these meth communities acts a driving force for
continued use. These areas
are isolated off therefore
allowing for strong sense of
inner community. As seen
with this image from
drugabuse.com, meth is the
drug of choice within the
Midwest and more rural
parts of the United States.
Combined with how meth is
produced within entire
social networks, once meth
has entered a community it will ingrain itself, impact all those involved.
Traditionally, these areas are perceived as being haven[s] from such
social problems found within a city, specifically drug use and production
(Boeri 2013). However, this illusion is broken with understanding of how
these areas play a crucial role within a female users initiation to meth.
Within the article Womens Storylines of Methamphetamine Initiation in
the Midwest, the motivations and reasons as to why women began using
meth is analyzed and organized into different groups. The main four
motivations are A Family AffairNumbing The PainFreedom Seekers
[and] In Pursuit. To expand, women can begin using meth due to having
access through a family environment filled with meth
drugabuse.com
use, self-medicating for a traumatic event, seeking
independence through drugs, or in pursuit of the perceived benefits
offered by meth (Carbone-Lopez et al. 2012). More often than not, these
methods of initiation intersect, as rarely is there one singular driving force.
It is necessary to understand how a user is first introduced into using a
drug in order to understand their motivation behind using it.
The social environment within areas of meth concentration are
structured in such ways that it triggers drug use. Within the rural and
suburban areas, they contain a social landscape[that] is a potential
breeding ground that fosters attraction to use a drug with the effects
provided by methamphetamine- energy, weight loss, and happiness
(Boeri 2013). This is significant specifically regarding the women within
these areas. Their surroundings significantly increase their risk of
succumbing to meth use. Within these areas, the loss of economic
status is a crucial trigger towards acting as a possible catalyst for drug
use. Especially in struggling rural or suburban areas, a sudden change in
ones financial situation could push an individual over the line into
poverty. This is true especially for those who are part of a group often
ignored known as the suburban poor, which Boeri explains as those
hidden within the suburbs but do not enjoy all the extra amenities.
Instead, they are often hidden away trailer parks that little access to
transportation and services often provided to those living within the city.
As examined in The Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Poverty,
being hit with a shift towards a lower socio-economic status increases the
risk for health problemssuch as severe depression. The women who
are living within these areas must deal with the stress of this trigger while
also struggling to balance social expectation, personal desires, and their
realties of daily existence (Mckenna 2013). If they are already struggling
financially, this provides an obstacle towards receiving the proper medical
treatment. However, how is a woman able to fulfill her role as the
caretaker is being hindered by a mental illness? She would be unable to
successfully take care of her children or maintain a home, two main
characteristics of the established gender role for women. This pressure
can lead to the using of meth as a form of self-medication. Since meth has
the effect of increasing parentingbydrrene.com
energy, it is desirable to
users who are unable to function due to their depression or find that they
are struggling to keep up with all of their responsibilities. As seen with one
user, she reveals that I did ice and I started getting up and I started
being social again (Boeri 2013). With the high caused by the meth
allowing for users to stay up for hours at a time with increased energy,
women are able to become super moms and successfully fulfill the
expectations of their gender role. This is why many users see meth as a
functional drug rather than recreational (Carbone-Lopez et al. 2012).
The effects that meth promises to produce makes it the drug of choice for
these women. Rather than simply giving a euphoria feeling that other
drugs might produce, meth presents itself as a way to help complete their
daily responsibilities while also being euphoric.
Building upon using meth in order to maintain their home, the
promised effect of weight loss is on of the most attractive for female
users. In Methamphetamine use behaviors and gender differences, they
examined the differences between the experiences of meth users along
the lines of gender. In the study, 36% of women compared to 7% used the
drug with the desire to lose weight. They observed that women were more
likely to desire weight loss
and desire for more energy
while male users were hoping
to work more and [have]
better sex (Brecht et al.
2004). The difference in desires reveals the subtle enforcing of gender
roles, as the female user desires to appear better for her partner and have
more energy. This is contrasted against the male user who desires to
achieve more in the workplace and have a greater libido, two significant
characteristics that make up the image of the proper man. The male
should provide for the family and be virile, while the female should be
taking care of the home while also looking her best. The effects reported
by users is also embedded within acting as a mechanism of maintaining
gender roles. Men were more likely to report, work problems while
women on the other hand reported skin problems with a higher
frequency (Brecht et al. 2004). As suggested in by Brecht et al., there is a
greater social importance placed upon a womens outer appearance
compared to men having issues with his employment. This further
corroborates the image of the male provider and the importance of
femininity for a woman.
As female users struggle to deal with the effects of prolonged meth
use, they must also deal with the drug culture itself as it works to further
the continuation of gender roles. Once an individual has become a
prolonged user, they are subject to the different nuances that come with
being imbedded within the drug culture. Age takes a large role within the
female users experience. When a female user is younger, she can find
increased agency and empowerment due to her youth and perceived
beauty (Boeri 2013). However, as one continues to age, she will find that
she will receive a reduction in resources, specifically in her ability to
bargain. A womens youth is attached to her value, and within the drug
culture, a younger woman has a higher bargaining power compared to an
older women simply due to her age. Being younger also presents
advantages not available to older women. While a user is younger, she
often has few of the life course roles expected of older women who need
to juggle work, family and drug roles (Boeri 2013). This suggests that a
younger user has a higher possibility of being able to break their
addiction, unlike an older user who could be depending on the drug to be
able to function while maintaining all of their responsibilities. As
suggested in The Meth Factor, the irony is that while meth is considered
one of the filthier drugs and should be a complete contrast to normative
femininity, many women will first initiate use to meet gendered social
expectations (McKenna 2013). As women first fall into the trap of trying
to meet a perceived image of femininity, they later fall victim to the
stigma surrounding meth use that further keeps them trapped.
The stigma surrounding meth is often stems from the juxtaposition
of perceived consequences of meth use with idealized notions of
femininity (McKenna 2013). The effects of continuous prolonged abuse
of meth can be seen in social setbacks that can include
unemployment, police record, probation, divorce, homelessness (Boeri
2013).
However, for female users, they must also combat the stigma surrounding
their drug use due to the expectations of their gender role. This stems
from media coverage and the campaigns against meth use. As seen within
this ad from the Not Even Once campaign, meth use is being related to
the loss of self worth since it will cause an individual to lose their virginity
in a filthy bathroom.

Found on This ad is being directed specifically at

themethproject.com potential female users, as virginity is still
related to a womens self worth. Ads like these work to further enforce
female gender roles by creating a stigma against female users that has
them not fitting the image of the proper pure woman but instead the
image of the tweaker (McKenna 2013). According to Wikipedia, a
tweaker is a negative term attributed to people who use stimulants,
most commonly methamphetamine. The construction of this stigma is
seen within this YouTube video from the Daily Mirror showing before and
after mug shots of meth users. Within this video, of the 14 mug shots
shown, only 4 are male, the rest are female.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-n9ZB_3WI0
Stacey McKenna states that female users are regularly portrayed as
trading sex for money and drugs or abandoning their children, [while]
their male counterparts are constructed as violent (McKenna 2013). This
works to enforce gender roles by presenting women as bad mothers or
whores since they prioritize meth over anything else. While meth use
within mothers has negative impacts on their children, these women
begin taking meth in the first place in order to balance their
responsibilities, and more often than not that means taking care of
children. Female users begin taking meth in order to fit the image of the
proper women they have been taught, yet are then stigmatized for not
being the good mothers for taking meth. These women become trapped
within this cycle, making it difficult to escape from the meth culture.
In order to help the rehabilitation of female meth users, it is
necessary to understand the motivations for their use. If the impact of
how meth works as a mechanism to enforce gender roles, and how it traps
these women in cycle is ignored, then their treatment and prevention is
impeded. It is crucial to focus efforts on the areas of concentration of
meth use, and to break down the social landscape that works to spread
and maintain the use of meth. A persons surroundings work to shape
them into what societys expectations are of them, however with the
combination of meth, these are amplified and the negative impacts are
increased.
Rhetorical Rationale:
Straight from the beginning, this project presented me with
problems. I struggled with understanding how to formulate a topic that
would not be either a report of information or an easily answered yes or
no question. After a lot fumbling for the first few weeks, I started off with
researching subcultures within the United States. However, with the
information I had it was hard to narrow it down or formulate an argument.
My first conference with my annotated bibliography worked to help me
focus on meth users specifically, since one of my main struggles was
trying to do too much all at once. With a narrower topic I set towards
understanding the different demographics of meth users and how they are
initiated or motivated to begin using it. My main fear while researching
was still not having an argument and simply creating a report of
information. However, as I continued researching more in depth, I noticed
a trend of women user studies that focused on how they entered the world
of meth and why they entered. What helped me to formulate my
argument specifically was the motivation for drug use, and the recurring
themes of weight loss and energy to complete household chores within
women users compared to the motivation of men. With this in mind, I
finally had my aha moment and now directed my efforts at organizing
my points of evidence for how meth works to enforce gender roles within
women. With that, it was quite easy to begin writing. Post workshop, the
main critique that I received was the need to focus on solidifying my
argument solely on gender roles, since my draft had too much focus on
the suburban and rural areas affect on meth use rather than how it
worked to lay the groundwork for meth.
Regarding my multimedia aspects, the ultimate goal of them is to
either support my argument or to build upon it with further avenues of
research. The YouTube videos work to provide a change of pace from
simply reading my paper and provide information to support my claims, as
with the telling of meth use by inmates within the Delaware county prison.
The image of the women in the grocery store is to give the audience
further visualization of the main motivation for many female users, and
that is to be a good mother and complete all of their responsibilities. The
graphic that I used is meant to support my claim how meth is congregated
in rural areas within the United States, and the overwhelming use of meth
as the top drug offense within the midwestern states further helps to
prove this point. I chose to only use on ad from the anti-meth campaign as
the main point of my argument is not the stigmatization of female users,
and therefore an excessive amount of those would distract from my main
point.

Annotated Bibliography:

1.Brecht, Mary-Lynn, et. al. Methamphetamine use behaviors and gender

differences. Addictive Behaviors, vol. 29, no.1, 2004, pp. 90-106.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460303000820
This article is an analysis of the differences along gender lines between
methamphetamine users. Male and female users were surveyed about
their initiation into meth, their motivations, and the different effects they
experienced. The results of the study provide insight how women use
meth more for social appearances than men.

2.Brownstein, Henry h., et al. Home Cooking Marketing Meth. Contexts,

vol. 11, no. 1, 2012, pp. 3035., www.jstor.org/stable/41960746
In this excerpt from Contexts, the organization of the
methamphetamine markets within the United States is examined. The
author focuses on the production and distribution of the markets and their
congregation within the Midwest. The significance of the close familial
relationships is emphasized as a essential part to the organization of these
markets.

3.Boeri, Miriam. Women on Ice: Methamphetamine Use among Suburban

Women. Rutgers University Press, 2013. Critical Issues in Crime and
Society. EBSCOhost,
In this book, the prevailing use of methamphetamine within
suburban women is examined. The motivations for these women stems
directly from the social landscape that exists within the suburb, and the
effects of the drug help them to reach their goals. The author examines
these goals and how they play a role in maintaining the gender roles
expected of these women within their environment.

4.Carbone-Lopez, Kristin, et al. "Women's "Storylines" of

Methamphetamine Initiation in the Midwest." Journal of Drug Issues, vol.
42, no. 3, July 2012, pp. 226-246. EBSCOhost,
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=85367be1-
e08f-4883-bea0-
3b19bcb96919%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3
QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=87687361&db=a9h
In this article, the different storylines of how female meth users
were initiated into first using the drug is examined. The common themes
are broken up into four different storylines, displaying how often the
triggers for these women intersect. These different storylines assist in
understanding what drives the initial introduction into the drug and
reasons why they are unable to break free from a cycle.

5.McGuinness, Teena, and James M. Stubenrauch. Emergency:

Methamphetamine Abuse. The American Journal of Nursing, vol. 106, no.
12, 2006, pp. 5459., www.jstor.org/stable/29744856.
In this journal, the effects methamphetamine has on the body both
physical and mentally is explored. The location of where meth impacts
directly within the body and the impact of long term use is revealed. The
potential long term effects has permantly on the central nervous system is
explored and what possible routes of dealing with the increasing meth
crisis is explored.

6.McKenna, Stacey. "The Meth Factor": Group Membership, Information

Management, and the Navigation of Stigma." Contemporary Drug
Problems, vol. 40, no. 3, Fall2013, pp. 351-385. EBSCOhost,
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d8f9153e-
eb34-41ed-a941-dca6d14a9e4e%40sessionmgr102&vid=1&hid=128
This article focuses specifically on how female users navigate the
stigma that comes along with continued prolonged meth use. The author
investigates how increased negative media attention has played a role in
formulating that stigma against female users. The focus is placed on how
these anti-meth campaigns function mainly on contrasting the effects of
meth against ideas of femininity.

7. NIDA. "How is methamphetamine abused?" NIDA. National Institutes of

Health, 2013. Web. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-
reports/methamphetamine/how-methamphetamine-abused>
This article focuses on the exact methods of how methamphetamine
is abused. Specifically these are the different methods in how the drug is
ingested. This focuses specifically on use within the United States.

8. NIDA. "What Is Methamphetamine?" NIDA. National Institutes of Health,

2013. Web. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-
reports/methamphetamine/what-methamphetamine>.
This article by the National Institute on Drug Abuse provides an
overall description of the drug meth itself. It provides the initial intended
uses of the drug, specifically for medical purposes. However, it describes
how the drug itself can also easily be abused due to its chemical formula.

9. NIDA. "What are long-term effects of methamphetamine abuse?" NIDA.

National Institutes of Health, 2013. Web. <
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-
reports/methamphetamine/what-are-long-term-effects-methamphetamine-
abuse>
This article focuses specifically on the long-term effect of prolonged
continuous meth use has on an individual. The audience for this article is
meant to be much broader than the article in the Journal of Nursing and is
therefore more straightforward.

10.http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/crystal-leonard/relationship-
between-chronic-stress-and-poverty
This paper published on a university site provides information on the
relationship between stress and living within poverty. The author argues
that there is a causal link between chronic stress and other health
problems and living within poverty. This assists in proving how sudden
poverty can act as a trigger for an individual to want to self medicate with
a drug such as meth.

11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaker
 This article provides a definition on the commonly used term
tweaker. As this is a colloquial term, Wikipedia provided the closest
definition, which is a negative term to describe a specific type of drug
addict.

Digital Components: in order of use

Figure 1: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/methamphetamine-meth
This is an image of crystal meth, one of the forms that the drug can
take post illegal production. It allows for the visualization of the illegal
substance.

Figure 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POp5GZ_1MBI (what meth

does to you)
This YouTube is an excerpt from a National Geographic special on
the drug methamphetamine. This clip provides a more in depth
understanding the drug has on an individuals nervous system and how
dependent someone can become with studies performed on rodents.

Figure 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGT1SbCjzc (inmates

talking about it)
This YouTube is an excerpt from the documentary, Unmasked: The
Stigma of Meth, and involves the interviews of current inmates at the
Delaware County Jail. These male inmates reveal how their meth use
impacted their lives, and how ingrained it is within their communities.

Figure 4: https://parentingbydrrene.com/2014/05/
This image is of a woman and child grocery shopping within a
supermarket. The goal of this image is to provide visualization to the
audience the goals of many of these female users. They are struggling to
attain this image of effortless motherhood who can maintain all of her
responsibilities and become a super mom.

Figure 5: http://drugabuse.com/featured/sentencing-by-state-2/
This graphic is of the top drug offenses in each of the 50 states
within the United States. The majority of the map is overtaken by meth
use within the Midwestern states. This correlates with the effect this rural
areas has on the production of this drug.

Figure 6: http://www.methproject.org/ads/print/bathroom.html
This ad is part of an anti-meth campaign called Not Even Once
campaign. Part of a slew of other ads, the goal of this campaign is to
essentially scare and shock people in order to prevent them from
potentially ever using meth.
Figure 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-n9ZB_3WI0
This YouTube Video is a slideshow from the DailyMirror showing the
Faces of Meth. It is a collection of mug shots of meth users including
before and after photos in order to show the effects the drug has on
someones appearance.