By 1935, drug companies were marketing amphetamines for the treatment of a daytime sleeping disorder known as narcolepsy. This sparked yet another branch of research on the effects of amphetamines. As Murray pointed out, these first Benzedrine users reported trouble sleeping when they were on the drug. In 1931, the pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline, and French introduced the Benzedrine inhaler to relieve the discomfort of nasal congestion due to colds, allergies, and asthma. Research on asthma medications led to the manufacture of Benzedrine, the earliest and most basic form of amphetamine. (An entry on ephedra is also available in this encyclopedia.) The active ingredient in this tea apparently eases breathing in asthmatics who drink it. When boiled in water, stems from the ephedra bush produce a tea that helps dilate, or open up, the small sacs of the lungs. By that time, scientists were looking to create a drug that would mimic the effects of ephedra, a natural Chinese remedy for asthma. The drug was not used for medical purposes, however, until more than forty years later. The first amphetamine was made in a laboratory by a German chemist in the late 1880s. Official Drug Name: Amphetamine (am-FETT-uh-meen) Benzedrine (BENZ-uh-dreen)ДЄlso Known As: Amp, bennies, pep pills, speed, and uppersДrug Classifications: Schedule II, stimulant Early Amphetamines Treat Breathing Problems (For more information, see individual entries on Adderall, dextroamphetamine, and methamphetamine in this encyclopedia.) Generally, all amphetamines act the same way: as stimulants. There are several different types of amphetamines. This effect of 'speeding up' people's actions explains how amphetamines eventually came to be known by the street names 'speed' and 'uppers.' Alles found that the drugs gave people a lot of energy, allowing them to do more and stay awake longer without getting tired. Murray in the Journal of Psychology, but 'their effects are short-lived.' OverviewДЄlthough they were discovered late in the nineteenth century, amphetamines did not receive much attention in the medical community until 1927, when a University of California researcher named Gordon Alles began studying their effects. The 'high' created by stimulants makes people feel good, but only temporarily. (An entry for each of these substances is available in this encyclopedia.) However, amphetamines have a great potential for abuse.

Setaro defined stimulants as 'drugs used to increase alertness, relieve fatigue, feel stronger and more decisive.' Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), and steroids are all stimulants. In the 2003 edition of their book Drugs 101: An Overview for Teens, Margaret O. Stimulants heighten the activity of a living being. Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that improve concentration, reduce appetite, and help keep users awake.

Amphetamine definition