Amphetamines
Amephetamines are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants which increase levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain.
Amphetamines can cuase restlessmess, tremors, rapid breathing, hallucinations, confusion, aggressivess, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, irregular heart beat, and even death.
Amphetamine Overdose
Burst of blood vessels in the brain, heart failure, and very high fevers are the common causes of death from amphetamine overdose.
FAST FACTS
In 1887, Lazar Eleleanu first synthesized amphetamine from the plant derivative ephedrine.
Classified as a Schedule II drug under Controlled Substances Act in 1971.
Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine, Ritalin, and Concerta are some brand names of amphetamines.
Amphetamines are prescribed to treat symptoms associated with narcolepsy, dpression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Benzedrine was the first brand name amphetamine released in 1933.
Amphetamine's name is taken from alpha-methylphenethylamine.
Amphetamine is a stimulant, primarily prescribed for ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome, trumatic brain injury, and narcolepsy.
Amphetamine and several closely related compounds are also heavily abused and are considered controlled substances due to the ease with which they can be abused.
Original Name: Phenylisopropylamine
Founder: Lazar Edelenau
Discovered: 1887
Orgin Location: Berlin, Germany
Class: Stimulant
Legality: Controlled
May be present in Ecstasy
USES:
ADHD
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Brain Injuries
Narcolepsy
Extreme Obesity
SIDE EFFECTS
Insomnia
Weight Loss
Stroke
Headache
Diarrhea
Constipation
Statistics
- An estimated 13 millions Americans use amphetamines without medical supervision.
- Approx. 15% of 10th and 12th graders surveyed had used amphetamines in their lifetime, without a prescription.
- In a study at San Francisco General Hospital, approx. 25% of seizures were found to be caused by amphetamine use.
- 3.4% of people use amphetamines in the previous 12 months in Australia 2001.
- 8.4% of teens reported some lifetime use of amphetamines in Australia 2001.
**Adderall**
- Adderall is the brand name for an amphetamine formulation that is prescribed for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) and for narcolepsy. Under the Controlled Substance Act, Adderall is classified as a Schedule II drug because of its high potention for abuse and dependence. Data for this report on nonmedical use of Adderall was collected as part of SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Nonmedical use is defined as use without a prescription belonging to the respondent or use that occurred simply for the experience or feeling the drug caused.
- Among persons aged 18 to 22, full-time college students were twice as likely to use Adderall nonmedically in the past year as those who had not been in college at all or were only part-time stuedents.
- Nearly 90% of the full-time college students who had used Adderall nonmedically in the past year also were past month binge alcohol drinkers and more than half were heavy alcohol users. Students under the legal drinking age who used Adderall were also more likely to be binge drinkers or heavy drinkers than their underage counterparts who had not used Adderall nonmedically.
- Full-time college students who had used Adderall nonmedically in the past year were more likely to be polydrug users in the past year than their non Adderall using counterparts, that is, both drink alcohol and use other drugs.
- In the past year, full-time college students who had used Adderall nonmedically in the past year were more likely to have used illict drugs than their non Adderall using counterparts: almost 3 times more likely to use marijuana (79.9% vs 21.2%), 8 times more likely to use cocaine (28.9% vs 3.6%), 8 times more likely to use tranquilzers nonmedically (24.5% vs 3%) and 5 times more likely to use pain relievers nonmedically (44.9% vs 8.7%)
MORE STATISTICS
- From 1995 to 2005, the percentage of substance abuse treatment admissions for primary abuse of methamphetamine/amphetamine more than doubled from 4% to 9%.
- In 2005, about 1.8 MILLION substance abuse treatment admissions were reported to SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set(TEDS). Of these, 169,500 were for priamry methamphetamine/amphetamine abuse and 80,000 admissions were for secondary or tertiary methamphetamine/amphetamine abuse.
- The duration of use of their primary drug before admission to treatment was, on average, six years less for persons admitted to treatment for primary methamphetamine/amphetamine abuse than it was for persons admitted for abuse of other primary substances.
- The criminal justice system was the principal source of referral for 49% of primary methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment admissions compared with 34% of admissions for other primary substances.
- Among the six primary substances of abuse that dominate substance abuse treatment admissions reported to SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set(TEDS), three (marijuana, methamphetamine/amphetamines, and opiates other than herion) increased between 1995 and 2005 and three decreased (alcohol, cocaine, and heroin). All the rates presented are for substance abuse treatment admissions with methamphetamine/amphetamines or marijuana as their primary substance of abuse. The full report contains maps indicating the relative quintile rank of each state.
- The methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment admission rate for the nation increased from 30 per 100,000 population aged 12 or older in 1995 to 68 per 100,000 in 2005.
- Generally, in both 1995 and 2005, the Pacific and Mountain States had the highest rates for substance abuse treatment admissions whose primary drug was methamphetamine/amphetamines.
- In 1995, Oregon alone had a methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment admission rate of 220 or more per 100,000. By 2005, four states (Hawaii, Iowa, Oregon, & Washington) had a methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment admission rate of 220 or more per 100,000.
- In 2005, the states with the lowest reates of amphetamine treatment admissions (less than 5 per 100,000) were Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, & Rhode Island.
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