Student addictions to Adderall

With midterms approaching, students can expect many late nights studying, extremely full schedules and, of course, stress. To get through times like these, students turn to coffee and energy drinks as a lifeline. But even caffeine, the standard for staying focused and awake, seems to be not enough for many individuals. The use and abuse of the drug Adderall among students is on the rise—and fast.

Adderall, a central nervous system amphetamine, is the standard medication prescribed today for attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Common effects of the drug include heightened attention, focus and ability to stay active. The potential for abuse is extremely high; cocaine and speed are also central nervous system amphetamines. While Adderall is not one of these illegal drugs, it does share characteristics, including its addictiveness.

Since 1996, 50 million prescriptions have been written for Adderall, making access relatively easy. Students can get pills from friends and classmates with prescriptions.

“Everyone is trying to get a hold of my Adderall, but I need my prescription to read, I’m not giving it away so kids can stay up all Friday night,” said PLNU junior Raleigh Leslie.

When students without a prescription use Adderall, it is usually with good intentions—like studying and doing homework. However, some begin to take this “study drug” recreationally because of the added stimulation.

“I meet all these kids tweaked out on Adderall thinking it is harmless, but do they really think staying up all night like that is good for them?” said biology major Alex Bauer.

Extensive studies of Adderall by Health Canada, Canada’s federal health department, resulted in a suspension of market authorization of the drug in all of Canada. According to the Health Canada, replacing sleep with amphetamines is damaging on both physical and mental health.