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Amphetamine and Methamphetamine During the 1990s

A 1981 review of toxicity and illicit use of amphetamine noted that governmental actions had diminished the diversion of pharmaceutical amphetamine and methamphetamine. Much of the illicit market prior to 1972 had been supplied by diversion of legitimately manufactured material, chiefly through careless (or even criminal) wholesaling. Following the reduced availability of diverted amphetamine, a number of events transpired. A market of fake "look-alike" products evolved. These were produced in formulations that resembled popular amphetamine products and that contained available over-the-counter stimulants, such as ephedrine and caffeine. Between 1980 and 1982, a very popular "triple product" appeared that contained caffeine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine. The look-alike problem was diminished by a series of actions taken by the federal Food and Drug Administration in 1984 that outlawed the legal marketing of any such combinations.

Illicit synthesis and marketing of methamphetamine continues. Although distribution remains limited chiefly to southern California, it has clinical importance. While a volatile version of methamphetamine ("ice") has received wide exposure in the American media, its true clinical impact apparently remains limited.

Definitions and Terminology

Amphetamine refers to a unique chemical, for which there are a number of precise terms: methylphenethylamine, phenylisopropylamine, and 2-amino-1-phenylopropane. Use of the term "amphetamines" is careless; there is no basis for using the plural term.

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