Amphetamines Other names Other names include speed, whizz, billy, sulph, sulphate, pink, dexies and there are regional names too. What are they?

• They are man-made drugs that stimulate or speed up the body's functions and make the user feel as if they've got more energy, more alertness and more confidence.
• They can be prescribed for a number of conditions and have been used medically as slimming pills, for treating narcolepsy (sleeping sickness) and for treating children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
• They come as tablets or, as a 'street drug', as a whiteish, grey, yellowish or pink powder. It is also available as a grey, putty-like paste known as "base".
• The purity rate of the street powder is very low at around 5%. The other 95% is made up of things like caffeine, paracetamol, glucose, powdered milk or talcum powder.
• The tablet is taken by mouth and the powder can either be 'snorted' (sucked up the nose with a tube - though this isn't very popular as amphetamines can smell awful!) or swallowed in a cigarette paper or mixed in a drink. Amphetamines can also be injected.

How much do amphetamines cost and how popular are they?

• Amphetamine powder sells for around £10 - £12 a gram and gets cheaper if bought "in bulk". It is also sold in small 'wraps' for £5 which is more than enough to keep a person up all night.
• Amphetamine sold as tablets will vary dependent on the type of tablet.
• After cannabis, amphetamine is probably the most used illegal drug and surveys of 15 and 16 year olds show that between one in five and one in ten have tried it.

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What are the effects?

The effects start to come on after twenty or so minutes and start with a tingle in the gut and a feeling that energy is being pushed up through the body. The mind feels cleared and more powerful than normal. The teeth start to grind and the jaws clench. There is a feeling of goodness and confidence and a want to tell people what you are thinking because it is so important, witty or new. In fact, amphetamine users can talk and talk and talk.. The appetite goes and there may be a need to urinate more often. Some people can become aggressive because of a feeling of pent up energy that needs to be released.

These effects can last for around four to six hours and, if no more is taken, the comedown is a manageable tiredness and a general 'down' feeling. If more is taken, the comedown becomes more intense and it can take a couple of days to recover.

What are the risks?

Use of a relatively small amount either snorted or swallowed every now and again - less than a gram, once a week at the most - carries little risk if the user is able to keep it under control, maintains a healthy diet and lifestyle and is not using it to cope with anything they feel is lacking.

Amphetamines should not be taken if a person suffers from high blood pressure, an over-active thyroid gland, glaucoma (eye disease), hardening of the arteries, urine retention or liver, kidney, brain or heart disorders.

The body can build up a tolerance to amphetamine if it is used regularly - which means that a larger dose may be needed to get the desired effect. Taking a break from using, however, does reduce this tolerance quite quickly.

Long-term and regular users can have chronic sleeping problems, bursts of bad temper, anxiety, skin rashes and problems associated with poor eating and sleeping. There can also be nerve and blood vessel damage in and around the brain, high blood pressure and irregular heart rates and rhythms, which can lead to strokes if the use continues.

Paranoia can arise with continued use and this can worsen if the person doesn't stop use. This is temporary and most people recover with rest and by laying off the drugs. Only in severe cases is psychiatric treatment needed.

The law

Amphetamine is a Class B drug and becomes Class A if prepared for injection.

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