Amphetamines increase activity related to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Well known in popular culture (as Speed) and often abused in the 1960’s and 70’s, current usage of amphetamines is strictly regulated and monitored.
However, in the past few years, amphetamine and its many derivatives (metamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, etc.) have become extraordinarily popular as recreational and illicit drugs around the world. Unfortunately, these psychoactive drugs are commonly manufactured by illegal drug manufacturing operations and often find their way onto the market in very potent form. Higher doses of amphetamine class drugs used recreationally to achieve a sense of euphoria or highly energetic state are potentially very toxic, habit forming, and even fatal. Some compounds in this class, such as methamphetamine, are particularly dangerous both to manufacturers and users. A number of deaths, or cases of serious overdose, related to these drugs has led to a greater need for detection in some populations. In many parts of the world, use of these types of drugs at parties and in nightclubs has reached epidemic proportions and the need for effective testing to identify these compounds in criminal or forensics cases has become crucial.
