Most amphetamine-based cures were available over the counter. Until 1956, that is, when the UK government, after news of rampant addiction in Japan, made them prescription only.

just inhale
There was one exception however: our old friend, the bronchial inhaler - still for sale, not just in chemists but any and every shop.

Luckily for the thousands who needed to salve their addictions, it contained hundreds of times more amphetamine than the pills. Sales rocketed.

no stopping
Meanwhile, doctors were overwhelmed with demand. Over 5.5 million benzedrine pills were prescribed in 1966. One GP prescribed an amazing 24,000 ampoules of Methedrine to just 100 patients in one year.

The peak was 68-69 when cocaine and heroin were abruptly removed from the medicines list. GPs dished out tons of injectable, highly addictive methyl amphetamine instead.

The government pressurised doctors to stop but production was squeezed into back street labs and then onto the black market and into mainstream culture.

There was no stopping it.

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