Amphetamines
Nicknames:
Speed, base, Billy whizz, crystal, Dexedrine, glass, ice, Ritalin, Sulph, sulphate, uppers, wake ups, whiz, whites, etc.
What does it look like?
Amphetamines are man made drugs, which usually come as a white powder that looks like salt, or sometimes as a pill or paste.
How it is used:
Amphetamines can be swallowed, or injected; however they all carry their own risks. Drug dealers often mix it with other white powders (anything from talcum powder to very rare and extreme cases such as toilet cleaner and dog worming tablets) to increase the amount they have and to make more profit.
The highs:
Amphetamines are very powerful - they literally speed up your whole body. They make you feel confident and energetic. It'll make you breath faster, become very talkative, suppress your appetite and remove the need to sleep.
The lows:
While on a high, your heart beats faster and your blood pressure rises which is dangerous. Afterwards you feel restless, confused and depressed. You have mood swings, violent tempers and suffer from skin problems. People who have taken high doses will doodle in repetitive patterns or repeat actions again and again. The grinding of teeth and chewing the inside of the cheek, is also another common side effect.
The law:
Amphetamine is a Class B, moving up to class A if they are prepared for injection. (See Drugs - The Law for more information.)
Contacts
The contacts database contains details of organisations that may be able to offer information or assistance on this issue.
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Other drugs:
- alcohol
- amphetamines
- anabolic steroids
- cannabis
- cocaine
- crack
- ecstasy
- GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)
- heroin
- ketamine
- khat
- LSD
- mushrooms
- poppers
- rohypnol
- solvents
- tobacco
- tranquillisers
Reproduced with kind permission of NHS Direct Wales - www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/theroom
