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Amphetamines
Amphetamines and methamphetamines are stimulants commonly used by young people at parties and raves to enhance energy levels for clubbing and dancing. Street names for amphetamine include speed, bennies, glass, crystal, crank, and pep pills.
Some chemically related medications such as Ritalin, Cylert, and Adderol are very useful when they are prescribed to treat Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD). Those stimulant medications can help people with ADD feel calmer, but they have the opposite effect on people who do not have that disorder.
Methods of Use
The drug can be swallowed, smoked, snuffed, or injected.
Types
Amphetamines are available on the street as capsules, tablets, powders, liquids, or crystals. A more recent form of smokable amphetamine known as "ice" has also appeared. Certain prescription stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Cylert have similar effects and are also abused.
Effects on the Central Nervous System
Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that increases wakefulness and physical activity but decreases appetite. In the central nervous system, methamphetamine stimulates an excess release of dopamine, a neurochemical messenger in the brain associated with experiences of pleasure. Long-term exposure to methamphetamine has toxic affects on the brain, especially on nerve cells that produce dopamine and serotonin. Recent research suggests that long-term exposure may cause cell death in the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that governs important executive functions such as control of behavior and personality.
Intoxication
Amphetamine abuse causes acute physical and psychological problems including anxiety, irritability, agitation, depression, and insomnia. Abuse may cause emotional reactions that range from energetic and happy, to talkative and restless, to aggressive and assaultive. Some people experience high blood pressure, chills, nausea, or vomiting. "Amphetamine poisoning" can result in tachycardia and poor coordination. Cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding on the brain) and heart failure may lead to death.
Withdrawal
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Fatigue
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Insomnia or oversleeping
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Warning Signs
A person who is abusing amphetamines may:
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Behave violently
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Experience confusion, insomnia, or paranoia
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Compulsively seek stimulants
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Behave evasively or lie about activities or whereabouts
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Be easily excitable
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