Prescription Stimulants

“The potentially serious side effects of these drugs can be understood in terms of their effects on the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters play an important role in cognition, affecting the cortical and subcortical systems that enable people to focus and flexibly deploy attention. In addition, the brain’s reward centers are innervated by dopamine neurons, accounting for the pleasurable feelings engendered by these stimulants. Non-medical prescription stimulant users were more likely to report use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and other risky behaviors. These substances have a tendency to induce a chemical dependence for daily life activities. Users are more likely to develop

Prescription stimulants are sensationalized in the media as the ticket to a 4.0 GPA. “In one study, the primary reasons students provided for illicitly using prescription stimulants were to help concentrate, increase alertness, and get high. Of note, many students also wrote in ‘to study’ as a motive that was not provided as a fixed item in the survey...” (Hall, 2005). Students hear their friends with ADHD talk about the benefits they receive from taking their prescribed stimulants, then decide to use prescription stimulants that are not theirs, in hopes to achieve the same effects. The media offers a sensationalized view of prescription stimulant abuse in the the adolescent and young adult populations. The evidence provided throughout this paper makes a compelling argument about the urgency of the growing prevalence of prescription stimulant abuse in the high school and college student populations. The media is bringing a valid point to the American public on the topic of prescription stimulant abuse. However, The data does not support the current prevalence of the state of stimulant abuse among young people in America (Herman-Stahl,