What Are Stimulants?

Stimulants can occur naturally, as they do in caffeine, or they can be created in a laboratory. The drugs mentioned in this book are synthetic, or made by humans, and are generally referred to as amphetamines. The term “amphetamine” is often used as a blanket name for several different stimulants, such as the drugs described on the next few pages.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are drugs used to treat hyper-activity in children, obesity, and sleeping disorders, as well as other conditions. They affect the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs. Amphetamines are usually taken in pill form.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine, also called methedrine, was developed from amphetamines and has a similar chemical makeup. But methamphetamine is much stronger than amphetamines. Methamphetamine abusers are taking higher dosages than a doctor would prescribe.

Although methamphetamine has been used in the past for medicinal purposes, today it is made mostly in illegal labs by manufacturers called cooks. Cooking methamphetamine is extremely dangerous: The chemical reaction caused by cooking methamphetamine creates acid fumes that are toxic. Some methamphetamine labs actually have exploded from the fumes coming into contact with a flame.

Methamphetamine can take the form of a fine powder, crystals, or chunks that range in color from off-white to yellow. It can be swallowed, snorted, or injected.

Ice

Ice is a pure, concentrated form of methamphetamine that looks like tiny bits of glass (“glass” is another name for it). The drug is smoked—vaporized, then inhaled. There is a saying that crack is to cocaine as ice is to methamphetamine.

Crystal Meth

This drug is a combination of methedrine and amphetamine. Crystal meth is among the most abused of all the stimulants because it acts so quickly in the body. The high is almost instantaneous when crystal meth is injected into a vein or snorted. The high often is called a “rush” because it is so powerful.

Dealers often mix cocaine or heroin with crystal meth because it is cheaper. Often, people are given crystal meth but believe that they are using cocaine or heroin. This can lead to serious problems. If a person gets used to taking large doses of crystal meth, and then takes a large dose of straight cocaine or heroin, he or she may overdose.

Phenmetrazine

Because it reduces the appetite, phenmetrazine is prescribed by doctors to help people lose weight. It comes only in pill form, and may be swallowed, crushed and snorted, or dissolved and injected into the user's vein.

Methylphenidate

The trade name for this drug is Ritalin. It is prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder in children and narcolepsy (a sleeping disorder) in adults. When taken in large amounts, this drug acts very much like amphetamines. In some countries, methylphenidate can be bought over the counter. In the United States it is only available by prescription.

The drug is available in pill form. It is usually swallowed, although some users dilute it and inject it into their veins.

Other Stimulants

A few other stimulants have effects similar to amphetamines, but have a different chemical makeup. These so-called look-alike drugs can contain various legal substances, such as caffeine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine.

Amphetamines and related drugs go by many different names when they are sold on the street. The names can vary by country, by state, and sometimes even by neighborhood. This adds to the problem of amphetamine abuse because buyers may never really know what they are getting. Each time people buy and use amphetamines, they are risking their lives.