Stimulant drug abuse on college campuses is a growing epidemic. Stimulant drugs are prescription medications taken by students with attention deficit disorders to enhance their focus and academic performance. However, many students without any attention deficit disorder are abusing these drugs for academic reasons. Most people assume that stimulant drugs such as Adderall are harmless and similar to caffeine. However, research has shown that Adderall is a widely-abused drug and can lead to serious health consequences. And in this paper, I will argue that this abuse is beginning to effect college education and is an issue that needs to be addressed through spreading awareness to students, parents, school officials and physicians. Stimulants such as Adderall temporarily increase alertness and energy and improve performance by enhancing the effects of excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain. (NIDA 2016). Stimulants are addictive drugs because as short term effects start to decrease in effectiveness and abusers need more and more to feel the same effect. Additionally, high doses of some stimulants can cause feelings of hostility or paranoia, as well as in dangerously high body temperatures and an …show more content…
A study that sampled western United States universities had a pool of 448 participants, and it showed that the overall prevalence of the recreational use of stimulant drugs was 18%. Recreational use is any nonmedical use of a drug. study of 119 different colleges found that ¼ colleges had 10% prevalence for non-medical stimulant abuse (McCabe 2005). One reason why college drug abuse rates have surged is because students are starting to use these drugs even before their college experience (Varga 2012). High school students' use of anabolic steroids reportedly increased 126% between 1991 and 2003, and students may be exposed to these drugs as early as middle school (Varga
In a 2012 study published by the Journal of American College Health, by senior year, Adderall and other prescription stimulants are offered to two-thirds of college students. Furthermore, about 31 percent are taking the drug in hopes to enhance their concentration to get better grades (Zadrozny 2013). Students who take Adderall that don’t have ADHD report that they have a increased sense of focus, motivation, and concentration, which are all the ingredients you need to have for a successful all-nighter to help on providing an added boost before an exam. With characteristics such as difficulties in focusing, reasoning, problem solving and planning, ADHD is a neurobehavioral-based disorder and is associated with an insufficient amount of dopamine (Student Health: Drug & Alcohol Abuse among College Students 2015). Adderall is enticing to students because they believe it can help them perform enhance their academic skills. On the other hand, some students abuse the drug because simply for the high it gives
ATTENTION GETTER: In a recent report, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) uncovered an alarming statistic: more than a half million students in the 8th and 10th grade are currently using some form of anabolic steroids. ( www.steroidabuse.org)
But Brown is not part of this 3-5% of the population. For Brown and others without the disorder, ADHD medications increase dopamine levels in the brain, giving the user a sense of euphoria similar to cocaine. Students at Northeastern University as well as other campuses are consuming these drugs for better academic performance and a cheap high on the college party scene. Students are taking Ritalin, Addrall, and the newest drug on the market, Conserta, either orally or crushing and snorting them to study, party, or lose weight. In some cases, kids are melting them down and shooting them up. According to Northeastern students, the drugs are very cheap and very accessible.
Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant composed of a mixture of amphetamine salts, dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Amphetamines are thought to block the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine into the presynaptic neuron and increase the release of these monoamines into the extra neuronal space. (Developed, 2010).
In the article “Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” (Yorker 2009) Margaret Talbot discusses the misuse of prescription drugs that enhance academic performance at the college level. First Talbot introduces readers to a young college history major at Harvard University named Alex who receives a description of a demanding, busy life which seems impossible to control without the safety unapproved adopted use of a drug named Adderall. After that Alex’s dependency on the prescription drugs cognitive enhancers is described when he asks his doctor to increase the amount of intake and the listing of his daily routine on using Adderall during a week that required him to write four term papers. Next Talbot describes a personal
While dopamine satisfies the nucleus accumbens, which is the system in charge of focus, alertness, and fight-or-flight response, the sympathetic nervous system is activated by the epinephrine. Norepinephrine helps the communication between neurons and helps these activities last longer. These effects are the reason Adderall is prescribed to ADHD patients. However, these effects are also the reason why it has been found to be a prescription drug that is commonly abused by many. Known as the "smart drug" or "study drug" by many college-aged students, it is unfortunately not that hard for one to get their hands on
Over the last decade, a new epidemic has risen in America regarding the sustained trend in teens abusing and misusing stimulant drugs prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specifically Ritalin and Adderall. There has been an increase in the number of teens diagnosed with ADHD and practitioners prescribing stimulants as treatment. These drugs are known in the teen community as the so-called “study drug”. An alarming high percentage of teens that are not diagnosed with ADHD are using this drug in attempt to achieve academic success as well as abusing it for recreational purposes. Due to the increase in teens being diagnosed with ADHD and being prescribed stimulants, the availability of ADHD stimulants has increased and are being abused and misused by other teens. In addition, caregiver’s lax attitudes as well as not supporting school safety prescription policies, has contributed to this disturbing trend in teens misusing and abusing the so-called “Study Drug”.
As college is a time for new friends and new experiences all the while being a stressful time for all students, the most common motives for the use of drugs among college students include help for concentration, happiness, experimentation, and social interaction or merely to get “high” (Boyd, 2006). This need in college students for experimentation or academic support can lead to a number of effects. Short-term and long-term use of such substances can lead to numerous injuries, health problems, and neurological problems. More deaths, illness...
Adderall can have serious side effects if taken without a medical reason. Adderall is a Schedule II drug, which means there can be a strong chance of abuse and dependence (Pantovich). The abuse of Adderall can be compared to the addiction people receive from the use of cocaine (Pantovich). The drug can cause lack of creativity (Pantovich). The use of Adderall is intended for patients with a disorder...
A substance abuse counselor is a person who helps people that are struggling with alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Substance abuse counselors provide patients with treatment and support while they are working to overcome their addiction and piece their lives back together. In addition, substance abuse counselors help patients’ families cope with their loved one’s disease and subsequent recovery. Finally, substance abuse counselors may work to spread awareness of addiction throughout the community by starting up/working for outreach programs.
As the saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” American college students of the 21st century have been forcefully subjected to highly competitive environments due to a multitude of external factors. As of late, the prescription drug, Adderall has become the drug of choice for ambitious college students, and has earned the title of being today’s college candy and academic steroid. First introduced and approved by the U.S. FDA, Adderall became the common treatment for those suffering from ADHD and narcolepsy. The drug is considered a schedule II stimulant, falling in the same category as cocaine and codeine due to its addictive nature (Tran). Nicknamed “addy” by college students, Adderall and its effects have been proven to be advantageous to many seeking to maximize work productivity; the drug keeps students energized and engaged in their studies for hours on end (N.S.). As reported by the U.S. Department of Human Health and Human Services, “among persons aged 18 to 22, full-time college students were twice as likely to use Adderall non-medically in the past year as those who had not been in college at all or were only part-time students” (U.S.). What essentially persuades a college student to take Adderall non-medically? A student’s competitive environment may be an influential factor. The issue of Adderall abuse among college campuses is concerning due to the dangerous short and long term effects in which many of its users are unaware of. An analysis of Adderall usage among college students will be performed in order to determine what can be done to prevent Adderall abuse in college students.
Adderall is a drug (stimulant) mixture of Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine, usually in the pill form. Adderall is usually prescribed to people with ADHD and narcolepsy because they typically are people with lower levels of dopamine and is a cause of why they cannot focus fully. This drug is highly abused in most college settings because students want that extra focus when stressing about exams (and passing). Adderall gives a release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline in the system by destroying the degraded enzymes, so mainly so you do not lose focus, which ultimately gives an agonistic drug effect in the body. When these neurotransmitters are usually found in the synaptic cleft after taking the drug. When the
In our day and age, there seems to be a drug for every problem we might face. If you are depressed, you can take a pill. If you can’t sleep, you can take a pill. There are even pills for doing your homework. However these drugs are inherently dangerous and the side effects are commonly overlooked. Drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin, often referred to as study drugs, are hazardous chemicals that are over-prescribed and used to treat symptoms that can be treated naturally. The alternative solution to these prescription drugs is exercise and meditation.
The use of illicit drug abuse among high school students has gradually increased over the years and has become a major concern for not only the student abusers themselves, but for their peers and the learning environment. Many dangers begin to arise when teens participate in the abuse of illicit drugs. Students not only harm themselves, but they create hazards for their friends, who only want to “fit in”. Given that the use of drugs as a teen directly correlates with high dropout rates, it is imperative to seek out the abuser to help secure a bright future for them. Although some claim it is an invasion of privacy and is embarrassing, I strongly feel that students should face mandatory drug testing in order to seek out and prevent drug abuse, while also maintaining a safe learning environment for the their peers.
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.