Deadly Heat: Methamphetamine's Rising Toll in Extreme Temperatures

A growing trend reveals methamphetamine's role in heat-related deaths, especially in the hottest US regions like Phoenix. The stimulant's effect on body temperature regulation poses deadly risks during extreme heat conditions, highlighting concerns over increasing meth usage amid rising global temperatures.

Amid an unforgiving heatwave in Phoenix, two individuals succumbed to a perilous combination of scorching temperatures and methamphetamine usage. This incident portrays a growing trend of meth factoring into heat-related deaths across the United States.

Data from the CDC analyzed by the Associated Press shows that methamphetamine appeared in almost one-third of heat-related fatalities in 2023 in states like Arizona, Texas, and Nevada. The stimulant intensifies body heat, disrupting natural cooling mechanisms, unlike any other substance, states Bob Anderson from the National Centre for Health Statistics.

The rise coincides with the increasing availability of meth from Mexican drug cartels and unprecedented global temperature peaks. In response, public health endeavors are attempting to disseminate information on the dangers of stimulant use during such extreme conditions, yet accessibility to safety measures remains a challenge.

(With inputs from agencies.)