Twentieth century
A history of amphetamine
Pharmaceutical stimulant, wartime and post-war use, prescribing controls and illicit markets.
Medical stimulant
Amphetamine entered medicine during the twentieth century for several indications. Evidence note: Established.
Mass use
Military, occupational and recreational use expanded exposure beyond clinical settings. Evidence note: Established.
Tighter controls
Evidence of dependence and harms contributed to tighter prescribing and drug-control regimes. Evidence note: Established.
Why this history matters now
Amphetamine remains both a controlled drug and, in specific authorised forms, part of legitimate medical practice — an example of why 'legal versus illegal' is too crude.
Myths, disputes and uncertainty
Popular drug histories often compress complex cultural, commercial and political developments into a single inventor, date or scandal. This page uses only broad claims that can be supported confidently. Where an origin story is contested or documentation is incomplete, it is not presented as settled fact.