ul ants ▁the ▁author ▁used . ▁ ▁Ph en met raz ine ▁was ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁n arc otic ▁in ▁Sweden ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁taken ▁completely ▁off ▁the ▁market ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁illegal ▁demand ▁was ▁satisfied ▁by ▁sm ugg ling ▁from ▁Germany , ▁and ▁later ▁Spain ▁and ▁Italy . ▁At ▁first , ▁P rel ud in ▁table ts ▁were ▁sm ugg led , ▁but ▁soon ▁the ▁sm ug gl ers ▁started ▁bringing ▁in ▁raw ▁phen met raz ine ▁pow der . ▁Event ually ▁am ph et am ine ▁became ▁the ▁dominant ▁stim ul ant ▁of ▁ab use ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁greater ▁avail ability . ▁ ▁Ph en met raz ine ▁was ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁Beat les ▁early ▁in ▁their ▁career . ▁Paul ▁McC art ney ▁was ▁one ▁known ▁user . ▁McC art ney ' s ▁introduction ▁to ▁dru gs ▁started ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁Germany . ▁The ▁Beat les ▁had ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁hours , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁given ▁the ▁drug ▁( re ferred ▁to ▁as ▁P rel lies ) ▁by ▁the ▁ma id ▁who ▁clean ed ▁their ▁housing ▁arrang ements , ▁German ▁customers , ▁or ▁by ▁A str id ▁Kirch herr ▁( wh ose ▁mother ▁bought ▁them ). ▁McC art ney ▁would ▁usually ▁take ▁one , ▁but ▁John ▁L enn on ▁would ▁often ▁take ▁four ▁or ▁five . ▁Hunter ▁Dav ies ▁assert ed , ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁bi ography ▁of ▁the ▁band , ▁that