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 category N Gender Male 94 Female 81 Race White/Caucasian 162 Other race/ethnicity 13 Year in school Freshman 33 Sophomore 41 Junior 49 Senior 52 Greek affiliation Fraternity (male) 63 Sorority (female) 48

TABLE 1. Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications in Various Demographic Subgroups Using Demographic n % Not using n% Overall 585 34 1,148

66 Sex*** Male 278 39

430 61 Female 266 30 629

70 Race* White/Caucasian 547 35 1,032

65 Other race/ethnicity34 25 101

75 Year in school*** Freshman 101 18 473

82 Sophomore 127 31 288

69 Junior 144 49 150

51 Senior 137 55 112

45 Greek status*** No 228 23

747 77 Yes 357 48

389 52 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 study 420 72 To concentrate on your work 389 66

To help memorize 213 36 To stay awake and have fun 127 22 To make work more interesting 70 12

12 For the high (the good feeling) 39 7 To suppress your appetite 32 5 To self-medicate ADHD 22 12

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): 31-46. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

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): 315-324. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

Henry Wechsler, et al. "Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: prevalence and correlates from a national survey." Addiction 100.1 (2005): 96-106. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

Looby, Alison, and Mitch Earleywine. "Prescription Stimulant Expectancies in Recreational and Medical Users: Results from a Preliminary Expectancy Questionnaire." Substance Use & Misuse 44.11 (2009): 1578-1591. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011

Rasminsky, Abigail. "HIGH AND MIGHTY." Dance Spirit 12.7 (2008): 116-118. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2011