College crack,” “the smart drug,” and “steroids for the brain.” These are all names for the rising epidemic of Adderall abuse among college campuses. Adderall, a drug legally prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a highly addictive stimulant drug. Students abuse Adderall to “get an edge on their performance,” said Janet Schank, a co-advisor of Edina High School’s Sober Squad. The drug can help students stay up late for all night study sessions and keep up in school without feeling tired.
“I would say that it is becoming more and more of a problem. I had never heard of Adderall addiction or use before going to college. Now I hear about people using Adderall at least a handful of times a week,” said Mitch Carter, a 2011 EHS graduate who currently attends the University of Minnesota. Getting access to the drug is not difficult. “I have heard that [college students] buy it from people that actually need it but don’t want to use it. I have also heard of people that pretend to have the need for it, but lie to the doctor to get their prescription,” said Carter.
According to an ABC news report, 18 million prescriptions for the the drug were written in 2010.
Ms. Schank added that students can get “Adderall online, steal it from someone they know, or approach others that sell the drug.” The price of buying Adderall illegally starts at three to five dollars a pill up to however much the buyer will pay.
There are many negative side effects linked to the drug including loss of appetite, increased heart rate, trouble sleeping, and nausea. “It is never a good idea to take a medication prescribed to someone else,” said Ann Little, school nurse. “It is unsafe and it is illegal.”
The danger of using Adderall for nonmedical use is that it contains amphetamine, an addictive stimulant. Though not nearly as extreme or unsafe as methamphetamine, the side effects are similar.
The Minnesota state charge of selling or possessing Adderall illegally is a sentence of up to 25 years of jail time and/or a fine of up to $500,000. The negative side effects and life-bearing consequences definitely outweigh the positive effect of being more awake for a couple of hours.