Amfetamine, 1-Phenylpropan-2-amine, (RS)-1-Phenylpropan-2-ylazane. Scenenames: Speed, Pepp.
C9H13N, M 135,2 g/mol, Melting Point 27 oC.
Euphorising working Sympatomimetic, with craze inducing effect. Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887 and was used until the end of the 70th as a medicament (Benzedrine, Dexedrine) in the treatment of obesity, narcolepsy and hypertension. Under the trade mark Adderall® a mixture of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine salts is legally used for treatment of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by children. Today amphetamine is frequently abused for its stimulating affects either orally ("bombs") or nasal ("sniefed"), more rarely and more riskily intravenously. In the illegal trade the active substance content is under 30 %. Since the amphetamine salts are not evaporable without decomposition , amphetamine - in contrast to the methamphetamine - can not be smoked.
Metabolism
Amphetamine is first deaminated to phenylacetone which is subsequently oxidized to benzoic acid and excreted as conjugates. A small part is oxidized to norephedrine and further p-hydroxylated.Half time is 7 to 34 hours, depending on urine pH.
Classification
UK: Class b, International (INCB): Schedule II Convention of Psychotropic Substances 1971
