Drug encyclopedia

For the first time stimulant action – an ephedrine – was described by Chineses about 5000 years ago. The amphetamine can be surveyed as synthetic analogue of an ephedrine. It has been received in 1932 as an agent depressing appetite, and soon after that there were reports on abuse by it. In the USA amphetamines have received a wide circulation in 1960 and in the early seventies.

Amphetamines have found at first military application, and then have entered into world psychotherapeutic practice and have got mass popularity. During the Second World War an amphetamine yielded the American and Soviet pilots, seamen, tankmen, scouts, as an agent for putting off of weariness, struggle against a sleep during performance of duty, vigilance rising.

After war the addicting and a wide circulation of amphetamines has begun in Japan from the American soldiers, then with the demobilised soldiers in the fifties amphetamines have propagated in the USA and further in Europe. The use of amphetamines in England and Sweden is especially popular. They are propagated also in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands. In Asia – in China and Kazakhstan.

In the USSR amphetamines were effected since 40th years, but is circumscribed were applied in medical practice and were inaccessible. In 80-90th years the addicting for amphetamines began to propagate in Northwest region of Russia, the countries of Baltic, Kazakhstan. Pure drugs use less often. They are not so accessible. Metamphetaminum substitute the named – “screw” received from an ephedrine and representing an admixture of materials containing Metamphetaminum is more known.

Amphetamines are still propagated in psychotherapeutic practice and have conserved the “military” value – enter into first-aid sets of special divisions of army of the USA. Are effected by ten firms of the world. On classification of the World Organization of Public health services amphetamines fall into to narcotics.