HISTORY:
Amphetamine was first synthesized in the 1880's, but its therapeutic
possibilities were not investigated until 1927. The first medical
product containing amphetamine, the Benzedrine inhaler, was marketed in 1932
to widen bronchial passages and help asthmatics breath. Soon after the
product was introduced users found that not only did it dilate the bronchial
passages, but it also relieved fatigue, increased energy levels, reduced the
need for sleep and suppressed the appetite. Abuse of the drug started
almost immediately. Amphetamine became available in tablet form in
1937 and was used extensively during World War II by Japan, the United
States, Great Britain and Germany. Medical use of amphetamines
increased in the 1950's and were routinely prescribed as antidepressants and
diet pills.
INFORMATION:Amphetamines have stimulating
effects opposite to the effects of
depressants such as alcohol,
narcotics , and
barbiturates . They raise the blood
pressure by causing the body to release
epinephrine, postpone the need for sleep,
and can reverse, partially and temporarily, the effects of fatigue.
Amphetamines enhance mental alertness and the ability to concentrate, and
also cause wakefulness, euphoria, and talkativeness. Benzedrine is the trade
name for the drug amphetamine; dextroamphetamine is marketed as Dexedrine.
Methamphetamine, a potent stimulant marketed as Desoxyn, is the most rapidly
acting amphetamine. They are available by prescription for limited uses;
illegal sources include stolen or diverted supplies or clandestine
laboratories.
Amphetamines are addictive and easily abused, users can become
psychologically dependent on the drugs and, developing a tolerance for them,
can require increasingly large doses. When the drugs wear off, a long period
of sleep ensues, often followed by hunger and depression, which can lead to
further use of amphetamines. Amphetamine addiction has been common among
such diverse groups as truck drivers, students, and athletes, who have used
the drugs for increased energy, alertness, or endurance. Methamphetamine,
made from ephedrine and other chemicals in clandestine laboratories in the
United States or Mexico, experienced a resurgence in use in the western
United States beginning the mid-1990s. Amphetamines are inhaled, taken
orally, or injected; as with other injected drugs.
STREET NAMES:
Black beauties, chalk, copilots, crack meth, crank, christy, crystal, dexies,
drivers, glass, go, go fast, Hawaiian salt, hearts, ice, leapers, meth, pep
pills, quartz, speed, thrusters, ups, uppers, wake ups, wire, and zip.
|
