Speed. Meth. Glass. On the street, methamphetamine has many names. What started as a fad among American West Coast motorcycle gangs in the 1970s has spread across the United States, and despite lawmakers' calls for action, the drug is now more potent, and more destructive, than at any time in the past decade.

The Meth Epidemic investigates the meth rampage in America: the appalling impact on individuals, families and communities, and the difficulty of controlling the essential ingredients in meth – ephedrine and pseudoephedrine – sold legally in over-the-counter cold remedies.

Produced by PBS’s flagship current affairs program FRONTLINE and The Oregonian newspaper this documentary examines the history and spread of meth: From the cartels and gangs that produce and sell it, to the drug companies that manufacture the ingredients, and the efforts of the US Government to control the problem.

According to the World Health Organization, meth abuse worldwide is worse than that of cocaine and heroin combined. And while it is the illegal cartels and gangs that sell the drug, it is also the pharmaceutical industry that has fought regulation of the raw materials and wielded its substantial influence on the American Congress to keep the Drug Enforcement Agency away.

The Meth Epidemic tells the complete story of the origin, development and spread of one of the most destructive substances in the world.