Drug Information - Speed Addiction
Amphetamines or Speed
Amphetamines are man-made drugs that have a bitter taste and usually come as a
white, greyish white, pale pink or yellow powder, and sometimes as a brightly
coloured tablet. Amphetamines can be snorted, swallowed, injected, dissolved in
a drink or smoked.
Amphetamines can also come in a liquid form, which is injected into the
body.The most common form of the drug is amphetamine sulphate, commonly known
as Speed. The purity of this drug is usually only about 5%, with the rest mixed
with other white powders, ranging from talcum powder and toilet cleaner. As a
result, it is said to be one of the most impure drugs available in the UK. A
new form of amphetamine derivative is currently sweeping the globe, but is
still very rare in the UK. Amphetamines were originally introduced into the UK
in the 1930s as a treatment for colds, flu and hay fever.
Appearance and Use
Amphetamines like speed are usually sold in wraps like cocaine. The powder is
off-white or pinkish and can sometimes look like small crystals. Base speed is
purer and is a pinkish-grey colour and feels like putty.
Prescription amphetamines like dexamphetamine are usually small white pills.
Speed's either dabbed onto the gums or sniffed in lines like cocaine using a
rolled up bank note. Sometimes it's rolled up in cigarette paper and swallowed.
This is called a speedbomb. It can be mixed in drinks, or injected.
The effects kick in after about half an hour if ingested but much quicker if
injected or smoked (methamphetamine) and can last for up to six hours. But it
all depends on the quality of the speed. The high is followed by a long slow
comedown.
The Effects
-
Speed makes people feel wide awake, excited and chatty. Clubbers take it
because it gives them the energy to dance for hours without getting knackered.
-
Speed was once the main ingredient in diet pills because it stops people
feeling hungry.
There is a flip side:
-
It's impossible to sit still or sleep on speed The come down can make users
feel irritable and depressed and can last for one or two days.
-
Speed makes some people panicky. Sniff a lot in a short space of time and
expect hallucinations
Brief Description:
Speed is the street name for Amphetamine. Like coke it's a stimulant that
people take to keep them awake and alert. It's Britain's least pure illegal
drug. It's often taken along with E.
Street Names:
Speed, whiz, uppers, amph, billy, sulphate, grudge, dexys, blues, base, ups,
wake ups, bennies, dexies, black beauties, jollies, crazy medicine, yaba and
crazy horse. .
Effects:
Amphetamines are stimulant drugs and the effects are very much like an
adrenalin rush, with breathing and heart rate increasing. The appetite is also
suppressed and users feel energetic and confident, with the effects usually
lasting for several hours. The body's temperature increases, the pupils will
become dilated, and there is an increased risk of dehydration. What
are the risks?
The regular use of amphetamines means the body develops a tolerance, and larger
doses of the drug will be required to achieve the same high, which can lead to
addiction.
Anybody who takes amphetamines for long enough may suffer from paranoia,
delusions and hallucinations, as well as risking infections such as hepatitis
and HIV through contaminated needles.Some users become tense and anxious after
taking amphetamines, and can be tired and depressed for several days. High
repeated doses could lead to panic attacks, hallucinations, and also place a
serious strain on the heart.
The comedown from just one use can take a couple of days, sometimes longer, and
concentration and memory will be affected. Subsequently, heavy long-term use
can also lead to problems with mental illness. An overdose of amphetamines can
be fatal and mixing amphetamines with other drugs increases the danger
significantly.
-
Speed puts a strain on your heart. It's bad news for people with high blood
pressure or a heart condition. An overdose can be fatal.
-
Avoid taking speed and anti-depressants or alcohol. This combination has been
known to be fatal.
-
Taking a lot of speed can give your immune system a battering. You could get
more colds, flu and sore throats if you use it a lot.
-
Speed can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability and aggression as well as
mental illness such as psychosis and paranoid feelings.
-
Too much sniffing speed and you're sneezing lumps out of your nose into a
hanky.
-
Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Dirty or shared
needles and injecting works can help the spread of hepatitis and HIV. Injecting
speed is particularly dangerous because it's cut with so much crap.
|