The recently released 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that the percentage of the nation's estimated 600,000 monthly meth users who met the criteria for dependence rose from 27.5 percent (164,000) in 2002 to 59.3 percent (346,000) in 2004.

"Methamphetamine is undeniably a uniquely destructive drug," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. "While rates of use have remained relatively stable over the past few years, these new findings show that an increasing proportion of methamphetamine users are developing problems of drug abuse and dependence and are in need of treatment."

New users of methamphetamine also remained steady at about 318,000 in 2004, SAMHSA said.

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