To someone who does not understand the Igbo language, “Mkpuru Mmiri” could be taken as a harmless phrase until you discover that this means crystal methamphetamine. Mkpuru Mmiri is an addictive and potent stimulant, which has a harmful effect on the central nervous system and the entire organs of the human body.
It has a molecular structure similar to Amphetamine, a drug used in treating people who suffer from a sleep disorder, narcolepsy, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Mkpuru Mmiri resembles shiny glass shards or glass fragments mixed with bluish-white boulders. This narcotic is taken by swallowing as a pill, smoking, sniffing, snorting, or injecting its powder dissolved in alcohol or water.
In the Eastern part of Nigeria, the rate of consumption of this substance is alarming. Some communities have taken to publicly flogging culprits taking the substances. Many youths have lost their lives, lost their sanity, and committed unimaginable crimes after taking Mkpuru Mmiri.
Mkpuru Mmiri activates the CNS (central nervous system) and causes euphoria in users. Around the world crystal methamphetamine has been called crank, crystal, shabu, stovetop, shards, ice, speed, tweak, biker’s coffee, trash, or meth.
The effect of the drug makes the user feel high but fades very fast. This means that a user needs to take many doses to feel the unexplainable euphoria. They end up giving up sleep and food, as they continuously take the drug in intervals.
Mkpuru Mmiri tends to increase the amount of dopamine, which is a natural substance found in the human brain. This chemical substance is responsible for motivation, physical movement, and rewarding behavior reinforcement.
Mkpuru Mmiri has the ability to stimulate the release of a large level of dopamine in the reward centres of the user’s brain. This tends to push the user to take more of the substance. The low cost of the substance makes it an easy drug to use in Nigeria. It is made in small laboratories with ingredients such as pseudoephedrine.
Pseudoephedrine is an ingredient used in common cold medications. Sadly, Mkpuru Mmiri works like other stimulates such as amphetamines or cocaine in causing debilitating health problems. Some of the health challenges include increased blood pressure and temperature, difficulty in sleeping or increased wakefulness, decreased appetite, stroke, seizures, or convulsion.
Users can suffer a higher risk of HIV if they use injections, or infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C. Mkpuru Mmiri can alter judgment, which could cause unprotected sex, sexual violence, and risk for infection.
Users taking Mkpuru Mmiri could suffer long-term damages like anxiety, serious dental problems, changes in cognitive function and brain structure, memory loss, extreme weight loss, hallucinations, memory loss, and death.
Recent studies have connected the use of Mkpuru Mmiri to Parkinson’s disease, which affects mobility. Currently, there is no approved treatment when it comes to people addicted to Mkpuru Mmiri.
The easy way of avoiding addiction is not to use it. Other approaches include managing events that may lead to the use of Mkpuru Mmiri.
