Amphetamine Pictures Resource

Amphetamines Facts and Picture Resource

This website contains a detailed selection of pictures of amphetamine powder, rock, utensils, tablets and pills. Also pictures and photos of Ice, Dexamphetamine Sulphate and Methylamphetamine.

AMPHETAMINES

a-methylphenethylamine

Laevoamphetamine (Benzedrine),
dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine),
methamphetamine (Methedrine) are all described as amphetamines.

Their chemical properties and actions are so alike that even experienced users have trouble knowing which drug they have taken.

What are amphetamines ('speed')?

a group of drugs made from different chemicals
Amphetamines are stimulant drugs speeding up the brain and nervous system
most people call amphetamines 'speed'
other names include 'crystal meth', 'base', 'ice' or 'shabu'

Forms of speed

doctors give amphetamine drugs to treat some health problems

mostly people use speed that is made illegally
'Speed' usually comes in the form of white or yellow powder
people either sniff it through the nose ('snort' it) or inject it and it can also be swallowed, in the form of tablets or capsules.
speed is often mixed or 'cut' with other things that look the same, to make the drug go further
some mixed-in substances can have unpleasant or harmful effects
it is difficult to tell what the drug actually contains

Effects of 'speed'

What 'speed' does to you depends on:

how much you take

your height and weight

your general health

your mood

your past experience with 'speed'
whether you use 'speed' on its own or with other drugs
whether you use alone or with others, at home or at a party, etc.

Immediate effects

Small amounts

When you take a small amount of 'speed', the effects can last from a few hours to a few days. You may:

feel very good and confident
feel alert and energetic
be excited or agitated
talk a lot
feel aggressive
feel anxious or panicky
take more risks than usual.

Effects on your body may include:

your heart beats faster
you breathe faster
you feel less hungry
your blood pressure rises
the pupils in your eyes get bigger
you move more quickly
it is hard to sleep.

Large amounts

If you take a large amount of speed you might:

get headaches
feel dizzy
feel restless
shake
have irregular breathing
have a very fast or irregular heartbeat
become pale
feel very powerful or better than others
become hostile or aggressive
have psychosis - a serious psychological problem where you hear voices, imagine things, fear that others want to hurt you.

Long term effects

If you use speed often and for a long time you may:

become dependent on speed

often become violent for no reason

get sick more often because your immune system cannot resist disease properly
be upset or depressed
have periods of psychosis
have relationship, work, money, legal or housing problems.
risk damaging blood vessels or heart failure, especially among people with existing high blood pressure, heart trouble or amongst people who take strenuous exercise whilst using the drug.

Regular users who take high doses may develop:

delusions
hallucinations
feelings of paranoia
paranoid psychosis (recovery may take months or damage may be permanent

The way a person takes 'speed' over a long time can also cause some problems.

Snorting speed can lead to:

nosebleeds
sinus problems
damage inside the nose Injecting speed with used or dirty needles or other equipment makes you more likely to get:
infected with hepatitis C, hepatitis B and/or HIV
blood poisoning (septicemia)
skin abscesses (sores with pus)

Injecting speed over a long time can cause:

blocked blood vessels (due to chemicals sometimes mixed with 'speed') leading to serious damage to the liver and heart
inflamed blood vessels
abscesses
dependency on the drug
other health problems.

Overdose

Overdose of 'speed' can happen to anyone. Even small amounts may cause overdose with some people who have an especially strong reaction to it.

When a person overdoses, it may cause:

amphetamine psychosis
faster, irregular or weak heartbeat
heart attack
bleeding blood vessels in the brain
very high fever
death (rarely).

Mixing speed with other drugs

People who use speed sometimes take other drugs at the same time to cope with the physical effects of 'speed' on the body, such as:

minor tranquilizers
alcohol
marijuana
heroin

This can make you dependent on several drugs at once. For example, 'speed' each day to get you going and minor tranquilizers each night to get to sleep. This type of dependence can lead to many serious physical and psychological problems.

Mixing different drugs can also make you more likely to overdose. To maintain the desired effect, regular users have to take increasing doses.

When they eventually stop they are likely to feel:

depressed
lethargic
extremely hungry

Amphetamines simply postpone the need for rest and food, they do not replace it.

Speed and pregnancy

Using speed when you are pregnant may:

increase the risk of losing the baby before it is born
cause the baby to be born premature
cause babies to weigh less
cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby from the mother's speed use (insufficient information is available on long term effects on children's growth)

Many women who use amphetamines find:

that their periods become irregular or even stop
both speed and the contraceptive pill increase blood pressure which in the long term can affect the heart, blood vessels and liver
amphetamines may inhibit the effects of the contraceptive pill causing it to work less effectively
weight loss sometimes associated with Amphetamine use may cause the contraceptive cap or diaphragm to be less effective as it will not fit as well.

Tolerance and Dependence

Anyone can develop a 'tolerance' to speed. Tolerance means that you must take more of the drug to feel the same effects experienced with lower amounts.

'Dependence' on speed means that it takes up a lot of your thoughts, emotions and activities.

Dependence on speed can lead to a variety of health, money, legal, work and relationship problems.

Not all people who use speed are dependent.

Withdrawal

People who are dependent on speed may find it very hard to stop using or cut down because of withdrawal symptoms. These can include:

wanting speed very badly (cravings)

feeling angry or upset

tiredness

hunger

long, disturbed sleep
deep depression (feeling very down or sad)
feeling anxious
feeling irritable
being 'nervy' or restless

These symptoms are usually fairly short-lived and most withdrawing people don't need medication. However, if you are worried about withdrawal, contact your doctor or health center.

Speed and driving

Speed can make you feel more confident when you drive. This can make you take dangerous risks and have accidents. It is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs, including speed. Penalties include losing your licence, a fine and/or jail.

Amphetamine Powder

amphetamine sulphate powders