“Methamphetamine, possibly “the most widely consumed synthetic stimulant in the world,”¹ is not new. It has existed for nearly a century and has been used for various purposes. The drug’s market has grown in the past 15 years and poses an increasing threat to international security. This is not only due to an increase in demand and cheap availability, but also because of the relative ease of production and the diversity of its format and consumption. This article outlines the shift in the growing methamphetamine market and explores why this poses a significant threat to the globe. It will outline the effects methamphetamine has on the consuming individual and on transnational organized crime, and it will examine the difficulty of countering this mutating threat...”

Excerpt from Marnix van Gelderen, “The Threat of Methamphetamine,” per Concordiam: Journal of European Security Defense Issues 5, No. 1, 2014: 38-41.

Marnix van Gelderen is a 2013 graduate of the Marshall Center’s Program on Applied Security Studies-Capacity Building. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international relations and German from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His research interests include transnational organized crime.

This article reflects the views of the author and are not necessarily the official policy of the United States, Germany, or any other governments.