Update on clandestine amphetamines and their analogues recently seen in Japan

Abstract

Amphetamines and their analogues have undergone a cycle of popularity as recreational drugs in Japan. The current wave of popularity began in the early 1990s and spread throughout the country. More recently, not only 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) but also other designer amphetamines analogues, including p-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), 2,5-dimethoxy-4- ethylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-2), etc., have been extensively and increasingly abused, mainly among juveniles. This minireview presents an update on the amphetamines and their analogues by focusing on clandestine tablets encountered in Japan recently.