NCJ Number
237548
Date Published
2011
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This third in a series of joint reports on prevalent illicit drugs - published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol - focuses on amphetamine.
Abstract
As viewed in this report, amphetamine is a substance belonging to the family often referred to as amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), which include two main groups of substances: "amphetamines" (amphetamine, methamphetamine, and related substances) and the "ecstasy-type" drugs (methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA] and its close relatives methylenedioxyamphetamine [MDA] and methylenedioxyethylamphetamine [MDEA]). This report provides an overview of key issues relevant to understanding how Europe is experiencing and responding to the global amphetamine problem. At various points in the report, background information is provided on the chemistry of amphetamine, production methods, and key European data on the drug and its abuse in Europe. Analysis begins with a review of the history of amphetamine in Europe, set in a global context. This is followed by a summary on current amphetamine trends worldwide and recent changes in the international trafficking patterns of key constituent chemicals. Patterns and the latest trends in amphetamine use, manufacture, and trafficking in and outside of Europe are examined, along with European trends in the trafficking of chemicals used in the manufacture of amphetamine drugs. The report concludes with an overview of European and international initiatives to address both amphetamine production and chemicals used in its manufacture. The effectiveness of these efforts is examined. 4 figures, a number of photos, and 56 references