CITIZENS RALLYING FOR CHANGE ON ALCOHOL

Amphetamines and methamphetamines are stimulants commonly used by young people at parties and raves to enhance energy levels for clubbing and dancing. Stimulant medications can help people with Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) feel calmer, but they have the opposite effect on people who do not have that disorder. Street names for amphetamines include speed, bennies, glass, crystal, crank, and pep pills.

Important information about amphetamine

Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Amphetamine may cause dizziness, blurred vision, or restlessness, and it may hide the symptoms of extreme tiredness. If you experience these effects, avoid hazardous activities. Amphetamine is habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on this medication, and withdrawal effects may occur if you stop taking it suddenly after several weeks of continuous use. Talk to your doctor about stopping this medication gradually.

Do not crush, chew, or open any "once-daily" amphetamine tablets or capsules. Swallow them whole.

Before taking amphetamine

Do not take amphetamine if you;

• have heart disease or high blood pressure;

• have arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries);

• have hyperthyroidism;

• have glaucoma;

• have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or phenelzine (Nardil) in the last 14 days; or

• have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.

Before taking amphetamine, tell your doctor if you have

• an anxiety disorder;

• Tourette's syndrome or motor or phonic tics;

• epilepsy or another seizure disorder; or

• diabetes.

You may not be able to take amphetamine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

Amphetamine is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take amphetamine without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. Amphetamine passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Do not take amphetamine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.