ABSTRACT
Amphetamine misuse is a world-wide phenomenon. The amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) consist of two groups which share a basic chemical structure: the amphetamine and the ecstasy group. It has been estimated that 0.5 per cent of the world’s population consume ATS which compares to figures of 0.14 per cent for opiates and 0.23 per cent for cocaine (World Drug Report 1997). The increasing sophistication of illicit manufacture and the greater profits from this production suggest that the problem of ATS abuse is likely to increase in the future.
