Amphetamines
Amphetamine is a psychostimulant drug that is known to produce increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite. Drug tolerance is developed rapidly in amphetamine abuse, and therefore the amount of the drug that is needed to satisfy the addiction needs to be increased at regular intervals.[1].
Amphetamine is a potent drug that acts by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, inducing euphoria.[2]. Amphetemines include prescription drugs commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Legal issues
In the United Kingdom, amphetamines are regarded as Class B drugs under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. The maximum penalty for unauthorized possession is five years in prison and an unlimited fine. The maximum penalty for illegal supply is fourteen years in prison and an unlimited fine.[3]
Resources
- List of 504 Compounds Similar to Amphetamine (PubChem)
- EMCDDA drugs profile: Amphetamine (2007)
- Drugs.com - Amphetamine
- Asia & Pacific Amphetamine-Type Stimulants Information Centre
Notes
- ↑ Amphetamines, Drug Use and Abuse: Merck Manual Home Edition, Accessed 21-January-2010
- ↑ Drevets, W et al, (2001), Amphetamine-Induced Dopamine Release in Human Ventral Striatum Correlates with Euphoria, Psychiatry, volume 49, pages 81–96, Accessed 21-January-2010
- ↑ Class A, B and C drugs, Class A, B and C Drugs, The Home Office, Accessed 21-January-2010
