Amphetamine Use and Abuse - Research Paper Example

Amphetamine Abuse Amphetamine abuse Q1. Amphetamine is one of the common stimulants abused in United s. It increases certain chemicals in the body that stimulates the CNS thus increasing the blood pressure and heart rate. In United States, various compounds of amphetamine have been abused for over 90 years (Austin, 1978). The use of amphetamine began in 1880s with its first synthesize. United States have a large of amphetamine users and abusers since 1940s during the first amphetamine epidemic. According to recent national drug surveys, about three million Americans use amphetamine yearly (Rasmussen, 2008). However, the number maybe having double with the current trend of usage of the drug. Various discoveries by psychiatrists and neurologists on the drug promoted its use heavily and increased its demand in United States. For instance, the annual sale for Benzedrine (amphetamine compound) was about $500000 in 1941. The US military heavily used the drug during the Second World War (Rasmussen, 2008). There was high usage amphetamine by the end of the 2nd World War since more than a million citizens in US were using the drug for weight loss and psychiatric purposes. In 1950s, consumption of amphetamine was accelerated by the fierce commercial competition of the drug mainly through the expansion of medical usages through development of Dexamyl, a compound of amphetamine. According FDA manufacturers’ study, the production of amphetamine salts in US were about 80000kg in 1962. In 1960s, amphetamine drugs were consumed at a higher rate than even tranquilizers in United States (Rasmussen, 2008). According to studies carried out in Newcastle in 1960s, the largest users of amphetamine drugs were women for weight loss, tiredness, depression and anxiety. In this period, there were evident cases in which negative effects of amphetamines. For instance, amphetamine psychosis cases were reported in long-term narcoleptic users of amphetamines. In addition, pharmacologists discovered that amphetamines are truly addictive and not merely habitual like caffeine. Eventually, the drug was discovered to cause acute physiological withdrawal and drug dependency. Despite the increasing amphetamine defect’s awareness, users continued using them mainly for psychiatric purposes. Some family psychiatrists tried using other newer drugs in replacement of amphetamine but did not work as well as amphetamines. Therefore, the use of amphetamine persisted in 1960s and 1970s. According to psychiatrists comments, only amphetamine compounds kept some patients active and able to perform and enjoy their chores (Rasmussen, 2008). Although amphetamines had harmful effects to human health, they were widely accepted in medication as innocuous medicines. Their use expanded from only middle-class and middle-aged patients to other people to maintain youthful vigor and increase their activeness. For instance, Former US President John Kennedy received amphetamine injections together with hormones and vitamins for maintenance of youthful vigor. According to a German physician, Max Jacobson, other prominent people were also treated with amphetamines. These include Tennessee, Truman Capote, Alan Lerner, Florida’s Congressman Claude Pepper and Cecil De-Mille (Dallek, 2003). Later in 1980s, amphetamine resurgence began through various recreational drug styles and fashion cycles that increased illicit supply. The number of amphetamine users increased to the current number of about 3.8 million users in USA. Q2. Amphetamine belongs to the Schedule II and Class B of the controlled drugs. It is on the schedule of controlled substances because they have a high potential of being abused by different types of users. Amphetamine is taken as tablets, powder and even as crystals. Therefore, they can be abused highly and in different ways. Secondly, amphetamine leads to severe physical or psychological dependence. Amphetamine is on the most addictive drug that has very high dependence once a person becomes an addict. Therefore, it is among the schedule of controlled substances in order to limit its manufacture and for control purposes. Lastly, amphetamine is a drug with severe and dangerous effects on the user if abused. As a physical stimulant, amphetamine increases alertness, suppress fatigue, provide an illusion of invincibility to users and sensations of well-being. Effects of amphetamine have been found to resemble cocaine’s effects thus classified in the same schedule. In the brain, amphetamines results to immediate and high increase in dopamine and serotonin thus resulting to brain disturbance. Other effects are malnutrition, prolonged sleeplessness, deterioration, nervousness, exhaustion, paranoid personality disorder, skin problems, agitations, panics and anxiety. These effects make amphetamine be among the scheduled controlled drugs in schedule II. Q3. Amphetamine has different kinds of effects on the user. These effects are classified into acute, chronic and withdrawal. Acute effects of amphetamine include high or increased concentration and alertness, grandiosity, euphoria, tremor, diaphoresis, feeling of well- being, palpitations and mydriasis. Chronic effects amphetamines include induction of drug dependency, slow development of tolerance, tachycardia, hallucinations and occurrence of delusions sometimes. Toxicity of the drug may result to chest pain, arrhythmias, hypertension, dizziness, nausea, tachycardia, diarrhea and vomiting. Overdose may cause stroke, muscle rigidity, seizures and hyperthermia. Withdrawal effects of amphetamines are few, and no serious syndrome is experienced when one stops taking amphetamine. However, the user experiences serious depression reaction, intense fatigue and sleepiness. Q4. According to the case study, there are various behaviors that show that Aaliyah is misusing amphetamines. First, Aaliyah started taking more than one pill while she knows that she should take only one pill at a time. This rate of taking pills shows that Aaliyah is abusing the drug. Secondly, Aaliyah remains awake for long hours without sleep. The sleeplessness is caused by the usage and abuse of amphetamine. Thirdly, Aaliyah has a heavy dependency on the drug for her to work and study. She takes amphetamines more often to enable her to remain awake and do her schoolwork. Although she experiences headache, she continues taking the drug in order to be successful in her academics. The dependency on the drug reveals that Aaliyah is abusing amphetamine, and she is addicted to it. Lastly, Aaliyah experiences headaches when she takes amphetamines. This means that she takes an overdose of the drug (more than one pill) at a time. Overdose or toxicity of amphetamine is harmful to the user thus revealing that she abuses amphetamines. Q5. If Aaliyah continues abusing amphetamines, she may develop various amphetamine-related problems in her life. For instance, she may have problems like prolonged sleeplessness, deterioration, malnutrition, nervousness, skin problems, agitations, panics, exhaustion, paranoid personality disorder, heart and kidney problems, muscle stiffness, increased risk of stroke, regular colds, extreme weight loss and anxiety (Druginfo, 2014). Using the DSM-IV-TR criteria, Aaliyah has an abuse problem which is also dependence on the drug. According to the criteria, she falls in Axis I because she experiences severe headaches when she uses the drug. In addition, she is addicted, and she depends on the drug for her academic success. At this stage, she is diagnosed and treated before she develops more dangerous problems (DeepDiveAdmin, 2013). References Rasmussen N. (2008). America’s First Amphetamine Epidemic 1929–1971. American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/ DeepDiveAdmin (2013). DSM IV. Psyweb. Retrieved from http://www.psyweb.com/DSM_IV/jsp/dsm_iv.jsp Druginfo (2014). Amphetamines facts. Retrieved from http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/amphetamines Dallek R. (2003). An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963. Boston: Little, Brown Read More