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| Amphetamines |
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| What It Is |
| Amphetamines are stimulants which speed up the way your
body works. They make your heart work faster and they pump adrenaline into the
system. The most common type of amphetamine on the street is a white powder
called amphetamine sulphate. This is an illegally manufactured powder of
varying strength, usually of between 6% and 10% purity. Another form of speed
known as 'base' is far stronger and is between 25% and 35% pure. |
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| Street Names |
Sulf, Whiz, Speed, Pep Pills, Copilots, Footballs,
Uppers, Billy, Phets, Crystal, Glass, Ice Cream, Ice, Meth, Bipetamine, Dexies,
Beans, Black Beauties, White Beanies, Crosses, Hearts
Crank, Meth, and Crystal are street names for
Methamphetamines.
Dexies and Beans are
street names for Dextroamphetamines. |
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| How It Is Taken |
| Usually taken orally, snorted, sniffed, smoked or
injected. |
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| What It Does |
Amphetamines give users extra energy for 4-6 hours,
prevents sleep, reduces appetite, speeds up breathing and heart rate and widens
the pupils. The user feels more energetic, cheerful and confident, and because
of these effects there is a high risk of psychological dependence.
Regular users who take high doses may
develop delusions, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia. This can develop
into paranoid psychosis from which it may take many months to recover or which
may be permanent.
Many women who use amphetamines find that their
periods become irregular or even stop. |
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| Medical Uses |
| Amphetamine is used medically for treatment of ADHD,
obesity, and narcolepsy. Medical use of amphetamines was common during the
1950's and 1960's for depression and weight loss. |
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