Speed
Speed – The Facts
- It is a Class B drug.
- Speed is a drug called Amphetamine Sulphate
- Other names for speed are whizz, sulph, uppers, etc…
- It is generally a pinkish/white powder, but can be a liquid if prepared for injection.
It can be taken in 3 ways:-
- Up the nose.
- Tablets.
- Speed becomes a Class A drug when prepared for injection.
Speed costs £10-£15 a gram.
Don’t be in such a rush, find out the facts
Amphetamine sulphate is also known as speed, whizz, sulphate, bennies and ice.
Older swingers may remember purple hearts and love doves. As it’s a manufactured drug, it’s forms and colours vary, but the most common is an off-white, pink or yellow powder. This is usually sniffed through a tube or injected. It can also be swallowed in a drink or wrap or mixed with tobacco and smoked. Ice is solid crystals which are smoked.
Amphetamine sulphate powder is not pure! It contains only about 10% amphetamine sulphate which has been cut with anything from glucose to ground glass!
Effects
Not all people will be affected by the same drug in the same way. Those who like amphetamine enjoy feeling alert, energetic, confident, happy and strong. It allows them to dance or talk all night long and not be bothered by hunger or tiredness.
Some don’t like amphetamine because it makes them feel anxious or edgy, gives them heart palpitations or makes them want to got to the toilet all the time, or they are so badly affected that they can’t get to sleep for hours after taking even a small dose.
Amphetamines last several hours and force your body to give you extra energy.
The ‘buzz’ has a price with the ‘come down’ you feel tired, depressed and hungry.
If you inject the drug and share syringes then there’s a risk of infection by HIV and/or Hepatitis.
The more you take the more tolerant you become and so the more you need! Heavy users may suffer paranoia, hallucinations, irritability, impotence (in males) and at worst convulsions, unconsciousness and even brain haemorrhage.
The Law
Amphetamine is a Class B drug, like cannabis, although any Class B drug prepared injection counts as Class A.
Maximum sentences vary according to the nature of the offence -
- less for possession, more for supply
- and also how harmful the drug is thought to be -
- highest for Class A, lowest for Class C.
Less serious offences are dealt with at a Magistrates Court where maximum penalties are 6 months imprisonment + a £2000 fine. More serious charges are dealt with at a Crown Court where penalties are harsher.
Import or supply of a Class A drug such as heroin, LSD or ecstasy carries a maximum of life imprisonment + an unlimited fine.