Speed

AKA

Amphetamines, sulphate, sulph, whiz, billy whiz, billy, amphs, dexy's midnight runners

Speed factoid 3.3% of all 16-24 year olds have used speed within the last year. That is 205,000 people - less than the number who have used cocaine in the last year.
(British Crime Survey)

What is it?

The name amphetamine refers to a whole group of manmade stimulant drugs. They speed up your whole mind and body.

Amphetamine pills used to be prescribed by doctors to help people slim - ever heard of black bombers and purple hearts? These are not around now. The only prescription amphetamines now are Dexadrine and Ritalin.

Street speed usually comes as a white or off white powder. This is usually amphetamine sulphate. Dealers sell it by the gram in little paper wraps.

You can add to a drink, wrap it in a rizzler and swallow it, snort it (inhale through a straw up your nose) or inject it.

How does it make you feel?

If you swallow it, you'll feel it coming on 30-50 minutes after taking it. It makes you feel bright, alert, chatty, wakeful. You'll lose you appetite, clench your jaw, feel warm and get sweaty palms.

There is a definite come down from speed. The following day you will feel low, sluggish and generally washed out. The longer you've been going for, the worse the comedown.

What are the health effects?

Long term use of speed can really screw up your head. People get bad mood swings, paranoid and anxious depression.

If you have an underlying heart problem, speed can trigger a heart attack. It can also trigger epileptic fits in anyone who is prone to them.

If you use a lot you'll probably build up a tolerance to the drug and then you'll need more and more to get the same effect.

The law

All unprescribed amphetamines are illegal Class C drugs. The maximum sentence for possession is 5 years in prison. For supply it goes up to 14 years in prison. If you have speed that is prepared for injection then it is treated as a Class A drug. You could get 7 years in prison for having it in this form. All sentences can come with an unlimited fine.

Written by Kate Roach

Last updated July 2007

Further help and advice

The Site.org entry on speed
Talk to Frank

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