Amphetamines: what are they?
Amphetamines belong to a group of drugs called ‘psychostimulants’. Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and speed up the messages going to and from the brain to the body.
Most amphetamines are produced in backyard laboratories and sold illegally. People who buy amphetamines illegally are often buying these drugs mixed with other substances that can have unpleasant or harmful effects.
What do amphetamines look like?
Amphetamines are a whole family of related drugs — each with its own recipe — and are taken in different ways. They can be in the form of powder, tablets, capsules, crystals or red liquid.
Amphetamines can come as a white through to a brown powder, sometimes even orange and dark purple. Amphetamines have a strong smell and bitter taste.
Amphetamine capsules vary considerably in colour and are sometimes sold in commercial brand shells. They are packaged in ‘foils’ (aluminium foil), plastic bags or small balloons when sold on the street.
Amphetamine tablets vary in colour and can be a cocktail of drugs, binding agents, caffeine and sugar.
Crystal methamphetamine, or ‘ice’, generally comes in large ‘sheet-like’ crystals, or as a crystalline powder.
The reddish-brown liquid is sold in capsules.
MDMA, or ‘ecstasy’ as it is more commonly known, is another illicit drug related to amphetamines. It is usually available in small tablets.
Why are they used?
People use amphetamines for different reasons. Some use the drugs to get ‘high’ and dance all night. Others use the drugs to help stay awake for long periods of time, to improve performance in sport or at work or to boost their self-confidence. Amphetamines can reduce tiredness and increase endurance.
For medical purposes, amphetamines are prescribed to treat narcolepsy (where a person has an uncontrollable urge to sleep) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
How are they taken?
Amphetamines are most commonly swallowed, injected or smoked. They are also ‘snorted’, or sniffed, through the nose. Some people insert them anally (‘shafting’).
Street names
The common names are speed, up, fast, louee, goey, whiz, pep pills, uppers. Crystal methamphetamine is also known as ice, shabu, crystal meth, or glass.
For more information, please click on the Australian Drug Foundation's DrugInfo Clearinghouse web site link below.
Last Reviewed: 20 September 2006
