Speed

On the streets, speed usually takes the form of amphetamine sulphate, which often appears as a dirty white powder. Recreational users tend to use speed to feel livelier or to help them stay awake for long periods.

Properly known as amphetamine, this synthetic stimulant can be divided into three pharmaceutical categories (d'l-amphetamine, dexamphetamine and methylamphetamine) all of which can be used to produce a range of tablets such as Dexedrine or Ritalin.

From

Amphetamines have been around for approximately two hundred years. Even so, the drug didn't find a use beyond the chemist's laboratory until the 1930's, when physicians began to prescribe amphetamines for conditions such as low blood pressure, but mostly as an appetite suppressant. World War II saw the first widespread use of amphetamines as a means of keeping troops alert (on both the Allied and Nazi fronts).

Post-War, amphetamines became popular as a slimming aid or tonic. The drug was available without prescription, though use peaked in the fifties and early sixties, when the associated risks began to filter into the public domain, such as increased tolerance to the drug and the strain it can place on the heart. Over the last thirty years, the drug has been used mainly for recreational purposes, often associated with music trends, such as punk and Northern Soul.

Chemistry

Amphetamines affect the central nervous system in the same way as adrenaline, a natural hormone designed to prime your 'fight or flight' response. The effects include increased heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

Production

Production for medical use is very limited: Dexedrine is very occasionally used in the treatment of sleep problems, while Ritalin has been widely prescribed in the USA for children suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (use is currently on the rise in the UK). Illegal laboratories can cook up amphetamine sulphate (the most common street form) from a material known as benzyl methyl ketone (BMK) but the finished product is likely to be cut with bulking agent such as talcum powder.