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" Question I`m concerned about my friend who is regularly taking speed.  What is it, and what are the effects?   Answer Speed is also known on the street as sulph, whizz or billy. Its chemical name is amphetamine.  Amphetamines are drugs which speed up the way your body works. They make your heart work faster and they pump adrenaline into the system.  The most common type of amphetamine on the street is a white powder called amphetamine sulphate.  This can be sniffed up the nose (snorted), dabbed from the finger to the mouth or injected.  Some people smoke it but it doesn&amp;#039;t burn very well and so this is not very common.  There is also a form of speed which can be smoked, commonly called ice (also crystal, glass and ice cream), although this is quite rare.  It has similar effects but lasts up to 39 hours and is thought to be more addictive than crack.  Amphetamine sulphate gives users extra energy for four to six hours, prevents sleep, reduces appetite, speeds up breathing and heart rate and widens the pupils.  The user feels more energetic, cheerful and confident, and because of these effects there is a high risk of psychological dependence.  The user may also feel a tingling sensation on the skin when touched. The body&amp;amp;#8217;s energy stores become reduced through lack of eating, sleeping and the increased demands on the system.  As a result users often feel tired and irritable, anxious, restless and down for a few days after using it. High doses in some cases can produce delirium, panic, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia.  These can develop into paranoid psychosis from which it may take many months to recover or which may be permanent.  Heavy usage can cause a variety of knock-on effects to the general health of the user.  To maintain the desired effect, regular users have to take larger and larger doses.  Heavy users weaken, developing lower resistance to disease and risk damaging blood vessels or heart failure.  This is especially true among people with existing high blood pressure, heart trouble or amongst people who take strenuous exercise whilst using the drug (such as ravers or club goers).  Many women who use amphetamines find that their periods become irregular or even stop.  It is also worth noting that both speed and the contraceptive pill increase blood pressure which in the long term can affect the heart, blood vessels and liver.  Amphetamines may also inhibit the effects of the contraceptive pill causing it to work less effectively.  The weight loss sometimes associated with amphetamine use may cause the contraceptive cap or diaphragm to be less effective as it will not fit as well.  It is illegal to possess amphetamines unless you have a prescription from a registered GP. It is also illegal to supply amphetamines unless you are a registered GP.  Amphetamines are a Class B drug unless prepared for injection when they become a Class A drug.  I hope I have given you sufficient information to suggest that the use of speed for recreational purposes is not to be recommended. Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team   Other Qs &amp;amp; As Drug tests for work Help &amp;amp;#8211; I&amp;#039;m back on heroin Help for addictive tendencies I have become addicted to my painkillers I think my sister is taking drugs I want to drop the drugs, but they&amp;#039;re my only relief Is my lifestyle causing the tingling in my hand? Is using cannabis a bad idea when taking lithium? My son takes caffeine pills &amp;amp;#8211; are they harmful? On-the-spot drug tests Roaccutane and cannabis Should I tell the surgeon about my use of drugs?   Last updated 30.11.2010 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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