Wandsworth Drug Action Team (DAT)

THE FACTS: Amphetamines/Speed
Sometimes called: Sulphate, Sulph, Wizz, Uppers, Billy.

What it looks like:
White, grey, pink or orangey yellow powder (or as a tablet or capsule).

How it's used:
Sniffed, swallowed, dabbed on the tongue, dissolved in a drink, smoked or injected.

The effects:
Feeling energetic, excited, alert and talkative. Feeling washed out and run down, poor appetite. Anxiety and depression, craving (more and more is needed to get the same effect).

The risks:
Using speed to diet can lead to problems such as brittle bones, anorexia and mental illness. Injecting speed means there 's a risk of damaged veins, getting HIV and Hepatitis. Overdosing on speed can lead to death and drinking too much can also lead to death.

The law:
Speed is a Class B drug. Being caught in possession of speed could lead to a prison sentence of up to 5 years. Supplying speed (this includes giving some to a friend) is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. If speed is prepared for injection, then it is treated as a Class A drug and the legal penalties are heavier.
Getting a criminal record can make it more difficult to travel abroad or get certain jobs.

For information, support, advice or someone to talk to about drugs, call: WDP (Wandsworth Drugs Project) on 07890 266394.