The most dangerous stage of meth abuse for abusers, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers is called "tweaking." A tweaker is an abuser who probably has not slept in 3-15 days and is irritable and paranoid. Tweakers often behave or react violently and if a tweaker is using alcohol or another depressant, his negative feelings and associated dangers intensify. The tweaker craves more meth, but no dosage will help re-create the euphoric high, which causes frustration, and leads to unpredictability and potential for violence. A tweaker can appear normal: eyes can be clear, speech concise, and movements brisk. But a closer look will reveal the person's eyes are moving ten times faster than normal, the voice has a slight quiver, and movements are quick and jerky. These physical signs are more difficult to identify if the tweaker is using a depressant.
When approaching or communicating with a person under the influence of methamphetamine your safety should be of prime importance.
Approaching or communicating with a person under the influence of methamphetamine
Source: National Drug Intelligence Center, US Dept of Justice
- Keep a 7-10 ft. distance. Coming too close can be perceived as threatening.
- Do not shine bright lights at him. The tweaker is already paranoid and if blinded by a bright light he is likely to run or become violent.
- Slow your speech and lower the pitch of your voice. A tweaker already hears sounds at a fast pace and in a high pitch.
- Slow your movements. This will decrease the odds that the tweaker will misinterpret your physical actions.
- Keep your hands visible. If you place your hands where the tweaker cannot see them, he might feel threatened and could become violent.
- Keep the tweaker talking. A tweaker who falls silent can be extremely dangerous. Silence often means that his paranoid thoughts have taken over reality, and anyone present can become part of the tweaker's paranoid delusions.
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