Hollywood Has Meth Problem

By Hollie McKay, FoxNews.com

Cristie. Ice. Tweak. Chalk. Chicken Feed. They're all street names for the illegal drug crystal methamphetamine. A majority of U.S. counties have reported crystal meth as their most serious drug problem, citing it more often than cocaine and marijuana combined. In Hollywood, cocaine is still king, but meth is gaining.

“It is in the circuit and it’s slowly rising,” Dr. Eric Braverman, addiction specialist and author of “Younger (Sexier) You” told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “It doesn’t need to be imported; it can be made at home, so it’s one of the hardest substances to police or control.”

Several celebs have admitted to falling prey to the powerful drug. Prior to the success of the “Black Eyed Peas” lead singer Fergie was hooked on the stuff. Tom Sizemore was arrested in 2007 for possession of meth. The following year Farrah Fawcett's son, Ryan O’Neal, was taken to the slammer after authorities found meth strewn about his Malibu home. And “Full House” star Jodie Sweetin disclosed in her 2009 memoir that she struggled with crystal meth addiction, admitting that during the 2004 premiere for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's “New York Minute,” she walked the red carpet "high as a kite."

The impact of meth addiction on one’s health is particularly devastating.

Crystal meth blows out the brain’s ability to make dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s pleasure center, resulting in brain damage, Braverman said. The user can only regain physical energy from continuing to use it.