Amphetamines
Amphetamine, dextroamphetamine,
methamphetamine, and their various salts, are collectively referred to
as amphetamines. In fact, their chemical properties and actions are so
similar that even experienced users have difficulty knowing which drug
they have taken.
Amphetamine was first marketed in the
1930s as Benzedrine® in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal
congestion. By 1937, amphetamine was available by prescription in
tablet form and was used in the treatment of the sleeping disorder,
narcolepsy, and the behavioral syndrome called minimal brain
dysfunction, which today is called attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). During World War II, amphetamine was widely used to
keep the fighting men going and both dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®)
and methamphetamine (Methedrine®) were readily available.
As use of amphetamines spread, so did
their abuse. In the 1960s, amphetamines became a perceived remedy for
helping truckers to complete their long routes without falling asleep,
for weight control, for helping athletes to perform better and train
longer, and for treating mild depression. Intravenous amphetamines,
primarily methamphetamine, were abused by a subculture known as "speed
freaks." With experience, it became evident that the dangers of abuse
of these drugs outweighed most of their therapeutic uses.
Increased control measures were
initiated in 1965 with amendments to the federal food and drug laws to
curb the black market in amphetamines. Many pharmaceutical amphetamine
products were removed from the market including all injectable
formulations, and doctors prescribed those that remained less freely.
Recent increases in medical use of these drugs can be attributed to
their use in the treatment of ADHD. Amphetamine products presently
marketed include generic and brand name amphetamine (Adderall®,
Dexedrine®, Dextrostat®) and brand name methamphetamine
(Desoxyn®). Amphetamines are all controlled in Schedule II of the
CSA.
To meet the ever-increasing black
market demand for amphetamines, clandestine laboratory production has
mushroomed. Today, most amphetamines distributed to the black market
are produced in clandestine laboratories. Methamphetamine laboratories
are, by far, the most frequently encountered clandestine laboratories
in the United States. The ease of clandestine synthesis, combined with
tremendous profits, has resulted in significant availability of illicit
methamphetamine, especially on the West Coast, where abuse of this drug
has increased dramatically in recent years. Large amounts of
methamphetamine are also illicitly smuggled into the United States from
Mexico.
Amphetamines are generally taken
orally or injected. However, the addition of "ice," the slang name for
crystallized methamphetamine hydrochloride, has promoted smoking as
another mode of administration. Just as "crack" is smokable cocaine,
"ice" is smokable methamphetamine. Methamphetamine, in all its forms,
is highly addictive and toxic.
The effects of amphetamines,
especially methamphetamine, are similar to cocaine, but their onset is
slower and their duration is longer. In contrast to cocaine, which is
quickly removed from the brain and is almost completely metabolized,
methamphetamine remains in the central nervous system longer, and a
larger percentage of the drug remains unchanged in the body, producing
prolonged stimulant effects. Chronic abuse produces a psychosis that
resembles schizophrenia and is characterized by paranoia, picking at
the skin, preoccupation with one's own thoughts, and auditory and
visual hallucinations. These psychotic symptoms can persist for months
and even years after use of these drugs has ceased and may be related
to their neurotoxic effects. Violent and erratic behavior is frequently
seen among chronic abusers of amphetamines, especially methamphetamine.
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