YABA

The story goes that Yaba was originally developed by the Nazis to keep their troops awake for days on end. Since then, it's become increasingly popular in the Far East and beyond. There are claims that Yaba is now bigger than heroin in Thailand.

Yaba is a derivative of synthetic amphetamines such as speed. But it can be manufactured far more quickly and easily using very simple ingredients and equipment.

ID: Crazy medicine, Yaba, Ice

Appearance and use

Yaba comes in tablet form - usually red or orange but sometimes green. Still relatively rare in Britain, experts reckon it's only a matter of time before it becomes the drug of choice for clubbers everywhere thanks to the intense visuals and highs it produces. It's sometimes passed off as ecstasy in clubs.

Purity

Yaba can be made from a bizarre mix of substances including salt, household cleaning products and lithium from camera batteries.

The effects

• Yaba gives the user powerful hallucinations.
• It can keep users awake for days on end.

Chances of getting hooked

Yaba is addictive and habit forming.

The risks

• Regular use is linked to lung and kidney disorders.
• It can give you disturbing hallucinations and make you paranoid.
• One of the nastier and most common hallucinations is 'speed bugs' or 'crank bugs' where users think bugs are crawling under their skin and go frantic trying to get them out.
• Coming off the drug can lead to severe depression and suicidal urges.

The law

Yaba is a type of amphetamine (speed). Speed is a Class B drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Prepared for injection Speed becomes a Class A and can get you tougher sentencing if you're caught with it or selling it. Posession can get you up to five years in jail and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else with it can get you up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.