Andre Agassi, a retired American professional tennis player, is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. After his struggle with back injuries and other injuries, he retired in 2006. Agassi tested positive in 1997 for the use of methamphetamines. He wrote a letter to The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) explaining that he "unknowingly" ingested the substance from a spiked drink. His personal assistant, Slim, was a known drug user who often did spike his own drinks. In 2009 Agassi published his autobiography titled "Open". Agassi later confessed in his book that he lied to avoid being banned from professional tennis. The book disclosed personal information about Agassi's secret hate for tennis; desire to quit the sport, and his use of crystal meth. Agassi explains his experience with drugs in a very raw, honest, and real way. He includes the euphoria he felt from crystal meth as well as the sadness and regret he felt after trying it for the first time. Through his book, Agassi hopes that others not only learn from his story but are able to discover more about themselves. Agassi does not speak of addiction, however he acknowledges that while he was using meth that was a time in his life when he needed help. He also had said during an interview the he recognized using something, in his case meth, as a means to escape was a sign he had a problem. Now, Agassi is meth-free. He is married, has two children, and over the years has done a substantial amount of charity work.
Effects of Crystal Meth
Crystal meth is a powerful methamphetamine that stimulates the central nervous system. Meth produces feelings of euphoria and energy. It can be smoked, snorted, and taken intravenously or orally. The effects of meth are strong, more powerful than cocaine, and can have adverse effects. Short-term effects of crystal meth are:
- Irregular heart beat
- Insomnia
- Increased body temperature and respiration
- Anxiety
- Lack of appetite
Other short-term effects include depression, fever, diarrhea, and tremors. Meth users can have unpredictable moods and could suffer from hallucinations, such as pimples or spiders on their face which they try to scratch off. Long-term effects of crystal meth use are:
- Memory loss
- Brain damage
- Paranoia and psychosis
Meth mouth-consists of dry mouth, cracked teeth, gum disease, and tooth decay
Meth also affects the user's behavior. Behavioral changes that occur from meth use are aggressiveness, lying, secretiveness, stealing, and lack of motivation.
