Amphetamines are part of a class of drugs called stimulants that affect the central nervous system. It is also known as 1-methyl-2-phenethylamine, 1-phenyl-2-aminopropane, and Benzedrine. It is made up of a 50/50 mixture of the l and d isomers. The l isomer affects the body, and the d isomer affects the brain. It boils at 200ºC and is soluble in alcohol and ether, slightly soluble in water. It was first created in Germany in 1887. In the 1930s and 40s amphetamine was used in the treatment of asthma, depression, obesity, and narcolepsy. Amphetamine's chemical structure is very similar to the neurotransmitter Adrenaline. [IMAGE]Chemical structure of Amphetamine, C H CH CH(NH ) CH Method of Preparation --------------------- There are many ways of creating amphetamines. One way is to take two mols, for example, 270 grams, of racemic amphetamine base to react with one mol (150 grams) of d-tartaric acid, forming a dl-amphetamine d-tartrate, or a neutral salt. The neutral salt obtained is dissolved by the addition of about 1 litre, of ethanol, and heating to boiling point. The solution then must be cooled to room temperature with occasional stirring to effect crystallisation. The crystals are filtered out and will be found to contain laevo enantiomorph, which is the left of a pair of crystals that are a mirror image of each other. It is then recrystallised and the predominance of the l-enantiomorph is found to be increased and the process is repeated until no further change is effected and a concentration of 8 grams per 100 cc of aqueous solution is obtained. Finally the product obtained is l-amphetamine d-tartrate. d-amphetamine may be recovered from this by the addition of tartaric acid for the formation of acid tartrates and separation of d-amphetamine d-bitartrate by crystallisation. Properties and Chemical Reactions of Amphetamines Amphetamines vary from a white to brown colour, though sometimes a purple or orange. It comes in the form of powder, tablets, capsules, crystals or a red liquid. They have a strong smell, and bitter taste.
Lasix is known as the “water pill” it’s a diuretic administrated orally.(1) The active ingredient of Lasix is furosemide, but also includes a number of inactive ingredients including lactose monohydrate NF, magnesium stearate NF, starch NF, talc USP, and colloidal silicon dioxide NF. (1) The peak effects of furosemide are typically seen within the first hour of two after a dose of the medication. (1). Lasix is prescribed for individuals to treat edema that may arise from congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis or renal disease. (1) In adults, furosemide may also be taken to treat hypertension itself.(1) Furosemide comes in 20, 40, and 80mg tablets as well as oral suspensions.(2) Furosemide is absorbed rapidly from oral suspension at 50 minutes, and from tablets at 87 minutes.(2) Food may slow down the absorption of the drug and alter the bioavalibitly.(1) Furosemide binds to plasma proteins, albumin being the main plasma protein that furosemide binds to, at 91-99%, and peak plasma concentrations increase with the increase of a single dose.(2) Furosemide is excreted through the urine and the remainder is excreted in the feces. (2) The half-life for furosemide is approximately 2 hours but the diuretic effects last 6-8 hours. (2)
Throughout human history people have sought experiences that somehow transcend every day life. Some sort of wisdom that might progress their knowledge of self and of the world that they live in. For some reason they believed that the tangible world just could not be all there is to life. Some believed in a greater force that controlled them, some believed of invisible beings that influenced their lives, some of an actual other world that paralleled their own. Many of these people also believed that it was possible to catch a glimpse of these forces, beings, or worlds through a variety of means that propel individuals into altered states of consciousness. These techniques include meditation, hypnosis, sleep deprivation, and (what will be discussed here) psychoactive drugs, more specifically psychedelic drugs.
As we can see, the ingredients in the table above could be found in many common household items. Organic compounds such as methylamine, ethyl ether, benzene, methanol, and lithium aluminum hydride are extremely flammable so there is always a great chance for explosion to occur. Many methamphetamine labs in California and Missouri have used the Anhydrous Ammonia method or Shake and Bake method, a one simple step recipe where the yield of meth is around 95% and 10 minutes reaction period and it will need up to about 2 hours for the total time for preparation, production and cleaning up after the process is done (Garriott, 2011). The main ingredients for this production are pseudoephedrine (cold medicine), lithium, water, Coleman fuel, ice packs and an explosive device. Besides that, there are two other methods which are mainly used in methamphetamine production: the phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) method and the red phosphorous (red P) method (Scott & Dedel, 2006). However, Anhydrous Ammonia method is more popular because pseudoepherdrine can be easily obtained in cold medicine and the producing progress is quite simple and quick so this method can be applied in most of small scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories (Scott & Dedel, 2006).
Everyone has his or her own opinion about drugs. Recreational drug use is using an illegal drug to get high. Instrumental use can be described when a person uses the same drug to achieve an effect to complete a task. Society has had many different views about drugs, and has changed its view many times throughout history. Today, we are facing a war on drugs, drug cartels, drug abuse, prison overcrowding and many others. All these have roots with drugs. There are always two sides to every story, and I will show that the use of amphetamines is both recreational and instrumental, and using it prescribed, recreationally or instrumental can have less desired effects according to research. Everyone has a choice when it comes to drugs in the United States and we must choose wisely. This is how I see it.
During the 1960’s and the 1970’s, it was known as the “love drug.” The following decade, many witnessed the popularization of the “happy drug.” This drug is chemically known as MDMA, or methylenedioximetamphetamine. To many of the younger generation, it is dubbed as “Ecstasy” or “XTC.”
What is crack? According to Webster’s dictionary it is “a potent form of cocaine that is obtained by treating the hydrochloride of cocaine with sodium bicarbonate to create small chips used illicitly usually for smoking”. According to Wikipedia, the definition of Crack crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked or shot up. It may also be termed rock, work, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; . “Iit is said to be the most addictive form of cocaine, although this has been contested” (Wikipedia.com). Crack rocks smoked offer a short, but intense high and appeared primarily in impoverished inner city neighborhoods, and started making a showing in the mid-80s” during the mid-1980s .
If you asked around a high school or university campus, it would probably not be too hard to get your hands on the popular drug, Adderall. Adderall contains an amphetamine and dextroamphetamine combination that work in the central nervous system affecting the chemicals that contribute to impulse control and hyperactivity. The drug is commonly used to treat people with Attention Deficit Disorder in order to increase concentration and keep focus, as well as increasing the ability to pay attention and stop fidgeting. It is also often prescribed to narcoleptics to help them remain awake throughout the day [“Adderall Oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing – WebMD”].
Cognitive deficits represent a particularly important point of intervention for the treatment of schizophrenia, a debilitating psychiatric disease that affects approximately 1% of the population (McGrath et al., 2008). These deficits are present in unmedicated (Saykin et al., 1991) and first episode patients with schizophrenia (Bilder et al., 1991; Hoff et al., 2005). Cognitive deficits are present throughout the lifetime of a patient with schizophrenia (Aylward et al., 1984) and remain stable through at least 10 years of illness (Hoff et al., 2005). Amelioration of the cognitive deficits, more than positive and negative symptoms, predict a satisfactory functional outcome in terms of full time employment and therefore represent an important target for therapeutic intervention (Green, 1996; Green, 2006). However, current typical antipsychotics generate little if any improvement in cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and therefore novel compounds are needed as indicated by the initiative sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health called Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) (Keefe et al., 2007; Young et al., 2009).
MDMA, or Ecstasy, was first made in a lab in Germany in 1912. The German pharmaceutical company E. Merck patented it in 1914, not as a medicine, but as a chemical for making more useful drugs later on. MDMA was forgotten until 1953, when the United States Army funded a secret University of Michigan study to develop chemical weapons. After learning that MDMA was non-toxic, the government put it back on the shelf. Rumor says that the drug was tested for mind control purposes, or as a “truth drug”, but there is not actual evidence of that.
A) He gives some of the street names for ecstasy and he calls it the club drug mostly because it is used at raves and such parties. Also goes on to call it the “safe drug”. Then even more he gets an in depth look of how the drugs looks and that it comes in a capsule about the size of an aspirin in po...
Ecstasy is a very popular designer drug. It is said to give complete euphoria for up to 6 hours. It came around in the 80’s and is becoming more popular now. It’s real name is MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine). It is a dangerous high and is more popular with young people. In the following paragraphs are some information about the drug.
Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, E, and XTC, is a drug that has two effects. The effects of ecstasy are hallucinogens and stimulants. Ecstasy gives you lots of energy and it also makes you feel no need to eat or sleep. Ecstasy takes about twenty minutes to an hour depending on the person. The effect of amphetamines makes the user feel more energetic, and also makes the user feel like not wanting to eat or sleep, once the effects start to wear off, the user feels happier and at peace. Ecstasy can make your blood pressure go way high. Ecstasy can also make your body temperature and heart rate raise. Side affects of ecstasy effects the user by depressing the user, and causes them serious brain damage. Depression by using ecstasy is caused by low serotonin levels witch happens when you don’t replenish the serotonin you lost when you take ecstasy for a week straight. Ecstasy damages your long and short term memory.
Hallucinogens or psychedelics are mind-altering drugs, which affect the mind’s perceptions, causing bizarre, unpredictable behavior, and severe, sensory disturbances that may place users at risk of serious injuries or death. Hallucinogens powerfully affect the brain, distorting the way our five senses work and changes our impressions of time and space. People who use these drugs a lot may have a hard time concentrating, communicating, or telling the difference between reality and illusion. Hallucinogens cause people to experience - you guessed it - hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. The word "hallucinate" comes from Latin words meaning, "to wander in the mind."
For many people the drug of choice would be marijuana, but in recent years that trend has been changing. The drug of choice for today’s young adults is MDMA or ecstasy. Unlike marijuana which has long term affects, ecstasy can kill a person with one hit. It is a very dangerous drug, and is spreading like wildfire in the United States. Most teenagers take the drug without knowing the side affects such as depression and brain damage (theantidrug.com). With more people trying the drug everyday, it is becoming harder for law enforcement to keep up with them. Law enforcement, parents and kids need to do something about this rising drug problem before it is too late. There are numerous solutions that can curb the use of this drug, and other solutions that can put the drug to good use.