Amphetamine - What are the risks?
Amphetamine - What are the risks?
Taking ‘speed’ does involve risks. Here’s what it could do to you:
- Depending on how much you’ve taken, it can be difficult to relax or sleep.
- The ‘comedown’, which can last a number of days, can make users feel really lethargic and down, and you can develop difficulty concentrating and with learning.
- Speed puts a strain on your heart, so it's definitely not advisable for people with high blood pressure or a heart condition – users have died from overdoses.
- Mixing speed with anti-depressants or alcohol has been known to kill.
- Taking a lot of speed, alongside its effects on diet and sleep, can give your immune system a battering – so you could get more colds, flu and sore throats,
- Speed can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability, aggression and paranoia; as well as mental illness, even to acute psychotic episodes.
- Injecting speed is particularly dangerous. It's much easier to overdose when injecting. Speed is usually very impure, so it’s not just the amphetamine that goes in to your bloodstream.
- Injecting can also cause damage to veins and arteries, and may cause ulcers and even gangrene (that’s when bits of the body start to die).
- Viral hepatitis and HIV/AIDS infections can be spread by users sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment.
Is speed illegal?
- Speed is a Class B drug and it’s illegal to have, give away or sell. Speed that has been prepared for injection becomes a Class A drug and can get you tougher sentencing if you're caught with it or selling it.
- Possession can get you up to five years in jail and an unlimited fine.
- Supplying someone else, including your friends, can get you up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.
- 4-methylamphetamine is a Class A drug. This means that possession can get you up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine, while supplying to someone else, can get you life and an unlimited fine.
What if you’re caught?
If the Police catch you with speed, they’ll always take some action. This could include a formal caution, arrest and prosecution.
- A conviction for a drug-related offence could have a serious impact. It can stop you visiting certain countries – for example the United States – and limit the types of jobs you can apply for.
Did you know?
- Like drinking and driving, driving while under the influence of drugs is illegal – with some drugs you can still be unfit to drive the day after using. You can get a heavy fine, be disqualified from driving or even go to prison.
- Allowing other people to use drugs in your house or any other premises is illegal. If the police catch someone using drugs in a club they can prosecute the landlord, club owner or person holding the party.
The Have I Got A Problem website is a free online resource to help people better understand any issues or concerns they may have about mental health or addiction. The website includes resources specifically focused to; general Mental Health, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Insecurities, Self-harm Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anger Management, Eating Disorders, Coping, general Addiction, Alcohol, Smoking, Gambling, Drugs, Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana (Cannabis) Ecstasy, PCP, Mephedrone, Ketamine & Crystal Meth.
The site was created to give the public information to help them understand mental health and addiction issues and to assist people in making better informed decisions about their life and personal choices.
www.haveigotaproblem.com was created and is run by 'Advising Communities’, which is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1061055)
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