📰 News & Media 📰 Why is meth almost always pluralized as "methamphetamines" in media?

[Quasimoto]

This has bugged me for awhile. Often in news reports, legal disclosures, or various other media, meth is always referred to in the plural as "methamphetamines"... but why? It doesn't make sense.

Nobody says "heroins" or "cocaines" or "marijuanas".

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Nobody says "heroins" or "cocaines" or "marijuanas

I do.

 

[Electrum1]

Reefers

 

[chippermonk]

This has bugged me for awhile. Often in news reports, legal disclosures, or various other media, meth is always referred to in the plural as "methamphetamines"... but why? It doesn't make sense.

Nobody says "heroins" or "cocaines" or "marijuanas".

Well, dunno. But when it comes to meth, it's hard to stop at just one

 

[Chaurus]

Here in The Netherlands some people say 'een drugs' which means 'a drugs' when they mean 'a drug'. Infuriating trend.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

One crack please

 

[foodcrisis]

google AI has been returning a lot of stuff that sounds legitimate for me in the past few months... i'm not sure if this is right though. i'm sure it's pulled from some website. would this make sense to anyone?:

"
Drug tests and related resources often use "methamphetamines" in the plural form because the term can refer to both the drug itself and its various forms and metabolites (substances the body produces as it breaks down the drug).
Here's why this is significant:

• Isomers: Methamphetamine exists in two forms called isomers, d-methamphetamine and l-methamphetamine. The d-isomer is the more psychoactive and commonly abused form, while the l-isomer is found in some over-the-counter medications. Drug tests may need to distinguish between these to determine the potential source of the positive result.
• Metabolites: When methamphetamine is ingested, the body breaks it down into other chemicals, including amphetamine. Drug tests typically screen for both methamphetamine and its metabolites, including amphetamine, to accurately detect usage.

Therefore, "methamphetamines" can encompass the various forms of the drug and its breakdown products that a drug test may detect.
Important Note: The pluralization of "methamphetamine" in drug testing contexts is often related to the need to identify the specific forms of the drug and its metabolites to accurately interpret the test results and differentiate between illicit use, prescribed medication, and other potential sources. "


so methamphetamines means some type of yet to be determined methamphetamine if i read correctly. i feel like i've heard of "crystal meth labs" and stuff. i really don't remember correctly though. "crystal methamphetamines" doesn't sound like something people have ever said to me. so i'm guessing crystal methamphetamine tests and looks a particular way... i'm not into science or meth, so this might not be the thread for me to be posting. the correct info is prob some where on the net though if there is a reason for it, and google's reason isn't the right answer. i see no one answering the OP.