History

The following is the history of a drug epidemic that has been devastating society, leading to increased crime, violence, and addiction for centuries. In 1893, Japan synthesized crystal meth. In the early twentieth century, Japan and Germany used it to treat narcolepsy, obesity, and depression (History.com Editors, 2018).

In 1919, A Japanese chemist used phosphorus and iodine to reduce the ephedrine into a crystallized form, creating the world's first crystal meth (History.com Editors, 2018), It was from this point in 1919 that methamphetamine was streamlined into civilization making it easier to get and reproduce. The following are events that occurred throughout the years in the timeline of Crystal meth (History.com Editors, 2018):

During World War II, both sides gave it to soldiers to keep them awake and alert.
In the 1950s, it became a popular prescription drug in the USA for treating obesity, narcolepsy, and ADHD; however, it was restricted in the 1970s due to its addictive potential.
In the 1980's in rural USA crystal meth production started increasing at alarming rates.
Due to the availability of pseudoephedrine, low cost, and ease of manufacturing crystal meth exploded in the United States in the 1990s