By: Savannah Smith

 Adderall is a brand name of amphetamine salts-based medication used to treat attention hyper-activity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.  It comes in a pill form and is taken orally.

 It was made by the manufacturing group called Shire Pharmaceuticals who first came out with the instant-release (IR). They do not produce it anymore.  There is also the extended-release (ER).  In 1996 the multi-dose version tablet came out, it is an instant-release tablet that came from the weight management pill called Obetrol.

 Adderall is made up of dextroamphetamine and racemic DL-amphetamine salts.

 Adderall is commonly used to treat ADHD, mainly in adolescents or young adults.  It is a stimulant drug that helps them stay focused and on task.

 College students started abusing this drug starting in the 1990’s and has had a rapid rate of popularity ever since.  Within the past year the use of this drug has had a rise of 3.5% to 7.0% and the numbers are continuing to climb.

 When teens need a little pick me up to help them stay awake during the long nights of studying they are now turning to Adderall to help them stay awake.  It keeps them focused, alert and able to get many things done at once.  They are now taking this drug recreationally vs. medically.

 Medical uses for this drug include:  Reduces symptoms of those who suffer from ADHD and narcolepsy.  It has also been used to treat obesity in some cases because it curbs the appetite of an individual.

 Recreational uses include:  Taking it to study late during finals.  Cram for tests.  Sometimes teens are taking it to become more social because it gives them energy and prevents them from being shy at parties.  Girls are taking it more now because it curbs their appetite and makes them lose weight.

 Now more than ever teens will take it at parties because they think it has no harmful internal side effects, where alcohol and other drugs have internal side effects.  This is totally false because Adderall is a stimulant and makes your heart rate go through the roof.

 Heart rate goes up  Digestive problems  Feelings of euphoria  Emotional repercussions  Depression

 Eyes become sunken and sullen  Dramatic weight loss

 Some may argue that Adderall is not and should not be considered a drug because it doesn’t produce the same “high” as other drugs and it is nothing more than other commonly used anti-fatigue aids.

 It is produced, regulated and prescribed by medical establishments and it is not targeted by law enforcement.  This basically means when a teen on Adderall gets pulled over they cannot be charged with anything because it is a prescribed medication.

 There have been many studies done around college campuses to see the students’ reasoning behind taking this drug.  The most common answer was, “It helps me get the things I need to get done.”  This drug is mainly abused by college students of the Northeastern part of the United States. Why?  It is harder to get into schools that lie in this region, students are doing all they can to get in.

 It has been proven that this drug is mostly taken by Caucasian males and females.  No gender is more dominant for taking this drug.  Although, it was found that white fraternity members are taking it more for study purposes.  Females are taking it as an appetite suppressant.

 DeSantis and Hane  Table 1  Interviewee demographic information  Demographic categoryN  Gender Male94  Female81  Race White/Caucasian162  Other race/ethnicity13  Year in school  Freshman33  Sophomore41  Junior49  Senior52  Greek affiliation  Fraternity (male)63  Sorority (female)48

 TABLE 1. Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications in Various Demographic Subgroups  UsingDemographic n %Not usingn%  Overall ,  Sex***  Male  Female  Race*  White/Caucasian547351,  Other race/ethnicity  Year in school***  Freshman  Sophomore  Junior  Senior  Greek status***  No  Yes  Note. ADHD = attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. *p <.05. **p <.01. ***p <.001. 

 TABLE 2. Reasons for Illegal Use of Prescription ADHD Medications (N = 585)  Reason for use n%  To stay awake to study42072  To concentrate on your work  To help memorize  To stay awake and have fun  To make work more interesting  For the high (the good feeling) 397  To suppress your appetite 325  To self-medicate ADHD 2212  Other 10 2  Note. ADHD = attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

 From these charts we can tell that like I said before, teens are taking it to help them do better in school.  They are taking this as a “study drug”  This is why it is known as “college crack”

 Teens do not realize how addicting this is, until it finally hits them when they start to crave it and get emotional and angry when it wears off.  When you have these feelings you know you are becoming addicted.

 In some cases teens will be so desperate they will snort it, shoot it and take it orally as well.  This is a problem that has been proven to sometimes lead to other drug addictions.

 These pills are running now from $2-$4 dollars a pill so it is really easy for teens to get a hold of these.  Some teens that don’t use this drug anymore have resorted to selling the drug because it is so cheap and it is in such a high demand.

 If you know you are addicted to this drug all you have to do is go to your doctor and talk to them.  There are alternatives to taking this drug, it is as simple as just quitting!!  All you have to do is manage your time well and don’t become to stressed and you will be fine.

 Desantis, Alan D., and Audrey Curtis Hane. "''Adderall is Definitely Not a Drug'’: Justifications for the Illegal Use of ADHD Stimulants.” Substance Use & Misuse 45.1/2 (2010): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct  DeSantis, Alan D., Elizabeth M. Webb, and Seth M. Noar. "Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: A Multimethodological Approach.” Journal of American College Health 57.3 (2008): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct  Henry Wechsler, et al. "Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: prevalence and correlates from a national survey." Addiction (2005): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct  Looby, Alison, and Mitch Earleywine. "Prescription Stimulant Expectancies in Recreational and Medical Users: Results from a Preliminary Expectancy Questionnaire." Substance Use & Misuse (2009): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct  Rasminsky, Abigail. "HIGH AND MIGHTY." Dance Spirit 12.7 (2008): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011