Amphetamines - What Is It Made Of?

What Is It Made Of?

Amphetamines do not occur naturally; they cannot be grown in a garden or dug up from the ground. Rather, amphetamines are synthetic, or manufactured, substances that consist of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

"Speed Kills"

The people who made the phrase "SpeedKills" popular were not talking about driving responsibly. The saying was used in the psychedelic era of the 1960s and early 1970s. It was coined by people who saw many of their peers fall victim to intravenous (IV) drug abuse.

Shooting amphetamines directly into the bloodstream is the most dangerous of all methods of use. This is because of the "speed" with which the drug flows throughout the body. The high is almost immediate, the shock to the system is intense, and the results can be deadly. Long-term speed use increases the risk of a drug-related fatality. Users build up a tolerance for the drug, meaning that they need more and more speed to get the same high. Taking higher and higher doses of the drug can lead to overdose and even death.

The phrase "Speed Kills" was not just used by anti-drug activists. It was also popular among drug users who knew firsthand the dangers of amphetamine abuse. The slogan appeared on

An anti-drug button from the 1960s warns of the dangers of taking speed. Photo by Herbert Orth/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.
An anti-drug button from the 1960s warns of the dangers of taking speed. Photo by Herbert Orth/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.

various mementos of the psychedelic era. The anti-amphetamine message adorned buttons, posters, and even stickers that schoolchildren put on their notebooks.

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The chemical structure of amphetamines is related to two natural substances known to boost energy within the human body. Those substances are ephedrinePronounced epp-ih-NEFF-run; a hormone that increases heart rate and breathing; also called adrenaline. and adrenalinePronounced uh-DREN-uh-linn; a natural stimulant produced by the human body; also known as epinephrine (epp-ih-NEFF-run).. Ephedrine is a

Some speed abusers use a razor blade to chop amphetamine tablets into a fine powder to snort the drug. Science Photo Library.
Some speed abusers use a razor blade to chop amphetamine tablets into a fine powder to snort the drug. Science Photo Library.

natural stimulant found in the ephedra bush. It is the active ingredient in a Chinese herbal drug that relieves the symptoms of asthma. Adrenaline is a natural stimulant that the human body produces all by itself. It sets off the body's "fight or flight" reaction in times of emergency. When adrenaline is released, heart rate and blood pressure increase, the muscles that control breathing relax, and the pupils of the eyes dilate.