You may have heard the name black beauties, but do you know the name Biphetamine 20? There has recently been a resurgence of interest in the capsules known as Black Beauties due to a popular series on television. Black beauties were pills that were well known and widely taken in the 1960s and 1970s as diet pills and to give you energy. They were also used as recreational drugs for the euphoric high they gave users. The trade name for this drug was Biphetamine 20, and if you needed to lose a few pounds, this was your new best friend.

Black Beauties contained amphetamine 10 mg in combination with dextroamphetamine 20 mm tucked into a little black capsule. This combination drug was cheap and effective if you wanted to lose weight,  stay awake, or just want the buzz you got from taking it. In 1965, black beauties were outlawed without a prescription, and by 1970, the Controlled Substances Act was put into place, which slowed the use of the popular drug dramatically.

Socially Acceptable Speed

Originally used for ADHD and marketed as diet pills, black beauties were a socially acceptable form of speed, and most people were generally unconcerned. Abuse of the pills was common in professions where you had to stay alert for long hours, such as trucking. It would be years before the potential dangers of addiction were addressed with the use of amphetamines.

A Feel Good Drug

Black beauties fall into the amphetamine category and work by releasing neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin. The effects of taking this drug also create a rise in dopamine, causing increased focus and euphoria. Users reported being full of energy with an upbeat, can-do attitude.

Dangerous Dependency

With the continued use of amphetamines, it is almost certain that the user will, over time, require more and more of the drug to enjoy its effects. The dangers of amphetamines are well documented and can be life-threatening, such as seizures and cardiac issues, overdose, and death. Subsequently, when the users stop taking the drug, some common symptoms of withdrawal from black beauties are fatigue, anxiety and depression, insomnia, irritability, and increased appetite.

Unknown Risks

Today, you may even find black beauties for sale from independent websites or street dealers. Be aware that these are not the same drugs that were being sold to black beauties in the 1970s. The original black beauties were discontinued, and anything sold today could be any number of drug combinations, creating many unknown risk factors. You should never, under any circumstance, ingest an unknown drug or combination of drugs.

Not So Beautiful

When taking amphetamines, either by prescription or obtained illegally, the risk of addiction is very real. The risks of taking black beauties were very real, and the resulting addiction was not so beautiful. Fortunately, in modern times, doctors have more information on just how our body and brain process these drugs and are better able to treat addiction compassionately. For more information on this topic, look online to read about the history of black beauties.