The Face of Meth Use
Tuesday September 5, 2006
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office of Portland, Oregon has developed a library of mug shots which show the shocking affects of methamphetamine on the faces of its victims after a few years of using the illegal drug.
Below is just one example of the mug shots collected by the Sheriff's Office, which shows the face of a meth user in a photo taken in 2001, on the left, and the same woman in a mug shot two-and-a-half years later (right).
The Face of Methamphetamine
Sheriff's mug shot
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has a collection of similar striking mug shots on its
Faces of Meth web site and has a library of 59 images available on a CD that can be ordered for $15. The site also has a Faces of Meth poster in PDF format that can be downloaded for free.
More Information:
Methamphetamine
Frequently Asked Questions About Meth
Comments
Without a doubt if abused this drug will do serious damage to the user, but I think law enforcement and others trying to curb this drugs use tend to exagerate rather than portray the drugs negative effects accurately. I don’t believe that the mug shots shown at the Faces of Meth
website are solely the result of meth use and I don’t believe that this picture shown is as stated and unaltered. Just more scare tactics from
those who wish to hand-hold and legislate every aspect of our life.
It takes courage to have your face posted on this website and sends a great message to the impact that this terrible drug has on people’s life. Meth abuse is extremely high in the area I live in unfortunately. I hope that these individuals are speaking to local high schools and college campuses. People need to see the physical impact this drug has. Excellent information!
Skeptic… So what’s the problem? What is wrong with a scare? I have a friend who is strung out on meth and she looks horrible. She has scabs all over her body and her teeth are rooting away. I think these pictures hold truth and maybe someone is using meth will see these pictures and it will scare the shit out of them!!!
She was a darned good looking girl. If she would have only known what that crap was going to do to her. I pray she gets better.
Skeptic, sometimes when people are faced with disturbing facts they find it easier to disregard, rather than process, the information they are being provided. You state that these are “scare” tactics being used, maybe you are correct. But sadly, the overall results from meth abuse can be far more scary and go much deeper than just appearance.
lets not sugarcoat the truth.i am a 52yr old recovering meth/cocaine addict.it always takes you to your knees.robs you of your soul.this aint no joke,its definitely the Devils drug.I Thank God THAT I’m that person today.tell it like it is.
why is it that in san diego county there are plenty of facilities to help women get clean-while still having custody of their children but there is not one such place for men (and their kids) in the same situation?
This drug is one of the worst things to happen in the 21st century. It’s made out of a/c agents, paint thinner and other unheard of chemicals. It is a man-made destroyer of body, mind and yes the soul.
I was hooked on this stuff for 4 years. I am so glad I quit.
This site is a eye full, and I do believe the pictures are real, I have a son, that has been on drugs nearly all his life. Since highschool. He is on Meth now and its his drug of choice. He is pitiful and his wife left after 10 years. How she put up with him that long I’ll never know. We have had him in numerous re-habs some helped but he is back. All we can do for him is pray, pray and pray again. We are doing tough love now, because he is very aggressive, has anxiety and very depressed. Is there any advice on how to talk and help, he is also an excellent liar and twists things around when we talk to him. He won’t listen to us, his family, but he claims we are all he’s got. My son is 45 years old and we wonder if he will ever have a normal life. So sad, Mom
I looked at these pictures and it just breaks your heart that the young people today are so caught up on Meth, I have a 31 year old son who has been in and out of prison for about 5 years, his problem and choice of drug has been meth,he is on a vicious roller coaster ride, he gets out of prison, and 2 weeks hes hooked up with the drug again, gets in trouble, drops dirty and back he go’s, he has burned all his bridges no one wants to help him any more, he’s been in prison and got out 4 times now, he is currently sitting in prison, it seems to be the only time, he stays normal. I would rather my son be there then be dead. I have never done meth and can not say what its like, but I have read alot about it and it scares me. I have been told its the devils drug, I pray for my son everyday, asking God to help him, I want him to have a happy life not like this. Peace To All You.
Hi, I would have to say that the pictures could very possibly be real. If she was using ALOT every day for 2 and a half years that’s exactly what she would look like. Meth makes you feel awesome, on top of the world, confident, and beautiful. But that’s while you’re high. When you come down you feel depressed, ugly, sickly, tired, and very angry. It makes you see stuff that isn’t really there, for instance I saw spiders all the time, I saw a teddy bear moving, and I tried driving once after being awake for 3 days, It was horrible I almost ran over an old lady and then I almost hit a child. I also saw a tornado during a storm and hid in the closet for an hour praying for my life, all to find out that there wasn’t a tornado at all. But while I was in the closet I made a promise to god that I would never do meth in any way shape or form ever again. I’m now proud to say that I’m clean, and that if I had made that promise to myself I probably wouldn’t be. I’m so glad that god scared me into quitting. Now I’m happy, and I’ve lost 20lbs, my teeth feel better and I don’t have to plan my life around the “devil’s drug” anymore. I hope everyone who is a user reads this. Just know that there is a life outside of meth and it is WAY BETTER! thank you.
I was hooked on shooting speed and then meth for over 20yrs. I lost my daughter to my folks and I list my sanity.I was fortunate that I never became a “picker tweek” and there for, my face looks damn good. I am almost 44 years old now. I’m an art major at a comm. college and I live on my own, totally drug free. I’ve been clean 5 years. It took the death of my father and two open heart surgeries for me for me to wake up, and oh what a wonderful world this can be.Meth is Death.
SKEPTIC: ITS THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF THIS NATION. YOU ARE A NON BELIEVING MORON WHO THINKS IT IS A CONTROLL TACTIC ANY TIME A GOVERMENT FACTION IS TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN NEED. OBVIOSLY YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN AROUND ANYONE WHO HAS USED METH VERY MUCH. I HAVE PERSONALY WATCHED METH DESTROY SEVERAL MARIGES AND THE LIVES OF MY LOVED ONES. TO HEAR SOME OVER EDGUCATED BOOKWORM MORON WHO THINKS HE KNOWES EVERYTHING BECOUSE HE HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE SIT THERE AND POST CRAP ON THE INTERNET THAT THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IS REDICULOUS. DO YOU EVEN STOP TO THINK ABOUT THE TEENAGERS THAT REED YOUR CRAP AND WHAT IT PUTS IN THERE HEADS. YOUR BASICALY TELLING THEM ITS OK TO DO JUST NOT VERY MUCH. AND IF YOU HAD EVER BEEN AROUND METH YOU WOULD KNOW THAT FOR MOST PEOPLE IT IS ALMOST IMPOSIBLE TO USE METH AND NOT GET HOOKED ON IT. YOU ARE TAKING PART IN THE DESTRUCTION OF UNCOUNTABLE LIVES MAYBEE EVEN THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO PUT YOUR 2 CENTS IN MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THE HECK YOUR TALKING ABOUT.