Amphetamines

WHAT ARE AMPHETAMINES?

Amphetamines is a term used to describe a large range of legal and illegal stimulant drugs. Amphetamines are stimulant drugs. They are used legally to treat conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy but are also manufactured and used illegally. Amphetamine use without a medical prescription is illegal.
There is often confusion between the terms amphetamines (with an s on the end) and methamphetamine. Amphetamines are the overarching term used to describe the legal and illegal drugs, while methamphetamine is what we know as Ice. Ice is a type of amphetamine.

OTHER NAMES:

Speed, fast, up, uppers, louie, goey, whiz.

EFFECTS:

• Ingested, injected, smoked, snorted or rubbed on gums.
• Euphoria, alertness, talkativeness, confidence, heightened libido; reduced appetite, sweating, anxiety and paranoia.
• DURATION
• Offers an intense high lasting between four to eight hours, and can be followed by a long or severe comedown.
  OVERDOSE
• Hearing or seeing things, feeling paranoid, and drug induce psychosis or psychotic symptoms, seizures, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest, or very high fever.
• An ambulance should be called if any of these symptoms occur.

SOME COMMON HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Encourage a young person to: –

• have a break from use and to try and eat and get some sleep.
• Try not to use more than 2 days in a row
• Understand that there are ways to inject safely if they are injecting.
• plan for the comedown – Let them know what to expect mentally and physically.
• About understanding the risks involved in mixing other drugs and alcohol, including prescription medication.
• be informed about what they are using. Use websites like pillreports and Erwoid to research what they are planning on taking.
The ADF has more information on Amphetamines.