Trocinski 1

Abby Trocinski

AP Seminar

Mr. King

21 April 2017

Stimulant Abuse in Students

Use and abuse of stimulants among undergraduate, graduate, and high school students is

undergoing a staggering rate of increase. Postgraduate Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical

journal, estimated that five to thirty-five percent of college students and up to ten percent of high

school students are abusing stimulants, drugs that raise the level of physiological activity in the

body (Blackwell). Drugs in this category include Adderall, Ritalin and Provigil, and the

intended use is for those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),

narcolepsy, or depression (“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”). However, these drugs

are being used in universities and high schools in order to increase academic performance

(Kormi-Nouri). As stated by President Richard Nixon in his Address to the Nation on Labor

Day, “We welcome fair competition-because it keeps us on our toes, because that alertness leads

to increased productivity, which in turn leads to a better life for the American family” (Richard

Nixon). Healthy competition can improve education and success for many people. For others,

competition can lead to unhealthy, illegal, and unethical choices. In “A World Without Work,”

Derek Thompson discusses the differences in rigor and intensity of schooling currently versus

past generations as well as the increased difficulty to obtain a high-paying job. This is further

shown through a study conducted by Alec Levenson, a Senior Research Scientist at the

University of South Carolina; in 1970 only thirty-two percent of those aged twenty-five to

twenty-nine had attended college, while in 2008, fifty-nine percent had attended. Additionally,
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most students have graduated college with greater student loans than previous generations

(Levenson). With more students gaining a higher level education, as well as having a greater

debt from student loans, competition is significantly increased among young adults. In response

to recent trends in nonprescribed stimulant use, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has

placed cautionary warnings on Adderall and other stimulants. Unfortunately, many people

remain unaware of the warnings and continue to take them (Arria). Given the questionable

effectiveness, high chance of addiction, negative side effects, and ethical concerns, stimulant use

should not be considered an acceptable way to increase academic success.

One factor contributing to the rapid increase in stimulant use among students is easy

accessibility. According to a study conducted by Jeff Grabmeier, a Senior Researcher at Ohio

State University, seven out of ten college students say it is very easy to obtain stimulants without

a prescription (Grabmeier). Adderall, the most commonly prescribed medication for ADHD, is

typically used to increase attention span and decrease distractibility of those with the diagnosis

(“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”). Many students are able to imitate the symptoms of

this disorder in order to obtain a prescription. The American Psychiatric Association’s

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the official listing of recognized psychological disorders

details the common symptoms and diagnostic criteria (“Attention Deficit Disorder”). The

accessibility to this information has allowed many to say they have shown these symptoms and

thus, gain the diagnosis. Doctors also have a tendency to continue prescribing medication after

it is needed. Jamie, a college student at Yale University, had been previously diagnosed with

ADHD. He took Adderall throughout middle and high school, and started to sell his medication

in his junior and senior years of high school. His prescription had increased until he felt that his

doctor was prescribing more medication than he could possibly ingest. His freshman year of
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college, he was able to sell his extra medication for four dollars per pill, making around two

hundred dollars a month (Feinstein). Sixty percent of those with ADHD diagnosed in childhood

continue to have symptoms in adulthood, demonstrating that there can be an ongoing need for

medication (“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”). However, doctors continuing to

prescribe the same or even increased dosages without updated examinations can result in the

availability of unused medication in high schools and colleges.

Using Adderall or similar medications can result in increased focus and an ability to work

late into the night, so many take it to elevate academic performance. Even if students are aware

of the side effects of these drugs, they may continue to use them believing the rewards are more

valuable than the possible risk. According to the New Yorker, a political and cultural magazine,

sixty-nine percent of fourteen hundred study participants stated that mild side effects of Adderall

use were a tolerable risk (Talbot). However, the effectiveness of the drug is difficult to qualify

as it varies from person to person. Adderall results in an intense focus, but for some, the focus is

not in the desired area. One student from the University of Kentucky stated that after using

Adderall, he stayed awake for entire nights obsessively cleaning his room, while he had papers to

write (Yannes). Others are able to focus on their school work, but they find that the results are

not optimal. One student found that he once wrote two pages on a subject that could have been

explained in two sentences (Feinstein). Recent research by Shaheen Lakhan, a physician

scientist at the California University of Science and Medicine, has also shown that stimulants are

more effective for those with a lower cognitive ability. Many college students would not fit this

description. It has also been found that students using Adderall nonmedically have lower grade

point averages than those not taking Adderall, both before and after beginning the drug use

(Lakhan). Students may rely on the drugs to compensate for practices such as skipping class and
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procrastinating, but this research indicates the practice is ineffective. Additionally, students

taking prescriptions nonmedically are more likely to have used other drugs illicitly. For

example, in a study conducted by Amelia Arria, the Director of the Center on Young Adult

Health and Development, ninety-six percent of one hundred college students who had used

stimulants nonmedically in the previous year had also used marijuana (Arria). This further

contributes to academic difficulties.

Although the primary illegal use of these drugs among students is for academics, many

use the drugs for recreational purposes. According to Chukwuma Onyebeke, a neurosurgeon at

Yale University, some use the stimulants in an attempt to increase the effects of other drugs; for

example, some may use it to feel more intoxicated when consuming alcohol (Onyebeke). Others

use it as an alternative to cocaine; stimulants are similar to cocaine and can be crushed and

snorted, so as to provide a quick rush. For some, the experience is more preferable, as Adderall

produces a more focused high (Feinstein).

Further contributing to heavy stimulant use, many students have the perception that it is

relatively harmless. In 2008, a survey conducted at the University of Kentucky showed that

eighty-one percent of students thought the drug was either “not dangerous at all or slightly

dangerous” (Yannes). Because so many children are prescribed the drug, it may be seen as safe

and acceptable for students to take as well. In actuality, Adderall is an amphetamine. It is

classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning there are predicted positive effects, but also has a high

chance of abuse. The FDA organizes drugs into a system of five Schedules, I being the most

dangerous and least medicinal, and V the least harmful and most useful (Cohen). As explained

by Margaret Talbot, the Director of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural

Organization, stimulants work by increasing levels of dopamine and epinephrine,

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neurotransmitters involved in focus and alertness. The newly increased level of dopamine can

also amplify connections to the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and decision-

making. Because stimulants alter dopamine levels, people can develop a physical dependence to

the drug, meaning the brain adapts to the increased level of dopamine and no longer produces the

necessary amount without the drug. Thus, students taking the drug may develop an increased

tolerance and a physiological need for it (Talbot). There is also a possibility for a psychological

dependence. When students repeatedly take Adderall in order to do work, they often feel as

though they are not as effective without it. It is possible that the dependence could become so

strong that a student would need to take Adderall in order to complete work. One student at Yale

University commented that she “can do work without it, but [her] concentration is just not there.

[She] never had a problem studying before [she] started taking Adderall” (Feinstein).

Along with the possibility of addiction, there are also many adverse side effects of the

drug. Adderall is mainly composed of amphetamine salts, so the side effects are similar to those

of other amphetamines. Effects are both psychological and physiological. Eric Patterson, an

Associate Professor at Clemson University, stated short term use can cause irritability and

trouble sleeping. Long term use can lead to depression, hostility, paranoia, hallucinations and

even a decreased ability to concentrate. Physiologically, it can cause unhealthy weight loss due

to a loss of appetite, cardiac issues including increased blood pressure and a fluctuating heart

rhythm, and insomnia (Patterson).

Because of the long hours worked by many students taking stimulants, some also suffer

from sleep deprivation, which can cause depression and weight gain or loss. In the article,

“Long Working Hours and Cancer Risk”, it was found that working long hours, as well as stress,

can cause severe cardiovascular problems (Heikklia). Additionally, because many are unable to
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sleep, they seek other medication to address this. They then may be caught in a cycle of taking

Adderall to complete assignments and a sleep medication to enable them to rest. This cycle

caused one student to become so dysfunctional that he would come off Adderall, take an Ativan,

and then sleep for days; this resulted in his decision to drop out of college (Frances).

Alarmingly, many believe that using stimulants should not be considered

unethical. Some of the nation's top Universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Penn State

have condoned the behavior stating, “Cognitive enhancement has much to offer individuals and

society” (Lane). They may compare it to other stimulants such as caffeine, but Adderall can be

cheaper than five cups of coffee and is more effective, so it may present as the better option

(Feinstein). As stated previously though, Adderall is classified as a Schedule II drug, along with

Crack Cocaine and Opium. Caffeine is classified as a Schedule III drug, meaning there is a

much lower chance of abuse (List of Schedule III Drugs). Additionally, caffeine is legal in the

United States, while the use of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes is not. A person may

be arrested if caught buying or selling stimulants. Ethical concerns are voiced by Christopher

Lane, a professor at Northwestern University, stating that if some students are using stimulants to

achieve a higher grade on an assessment or project, they have obtained an unfair advantage over

those not taking stimulants (Lane).

Adderall use is not an acceptable way to promote academic success, but cultural

expectations and the competitive nature of the current academic and work environments are

encouraging its increasing use. In order to decrease its use among students, the ease of access to

stimulants must be addressed. Doctors should utilize a strict criteria for prescribing Adderall or

other ADHD medications, and follow up examinations should be completed with adequate

frequency to ensure that the drug continues to be useful and the dosage is correct. Additionally,
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students need to be educated about the adverse side effects and dangers of stimulants in middle

and high school curriculums. Finally, universities should establish policies to discourage

stimulant use rather than condone or even advocate the practice. Given societal trends and the

increasingly competitive job market, significant change in this area may be difficult to achieve;

the “do whatever it takes” mentality among young adults is not likely to diminish. Nevertheless,

without addressing this issue, our society could become one where children take Adderall as one

of their daily vitamins (Lane).

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Works Cited

Arria, Amelia M., and Robert L. DuPont. “Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use among

College Students: Why We Need To Do Something and What We Need To Do.” Journal

of Addictive Diseases, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2010,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951617/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2017.

“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosing ADHD.” WebMD, WebMD, 2017,

www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/diagnosing-adhd#1. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.

Blackwell, Elizabeth. “The Dangers of Rising Adderall Abuse among Teens.” World of Psychology,

Psych Central, 11 Sept. 2016, psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/ 09/25/the-dangers-of-

rising-adderall-abuse-among-teens/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017.

Cohen, Roger. “The Competition Drug.” The New York Times, 4 Mar.

2013,www.nytimes.com/2013/03/05/opinion/global/roger-cohen-adderall-the-academic-compe

tition-drug.html?src=recg. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.

Feinstein, Jessica. Adderall: The Academic Steroid. Yale Daily News, 24 Jan. 2004,

yaledailynews.com/blog/2005/01/24/adderall-the-academic-steroid/. Accessed 20 Mar.

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Frances, Allen J. “Saving Normal.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 23 May 2016,

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Grabmeier, Jeff. “College Students Say Prescription Stimulants Easy to Find on Campus.” Ohio

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news.osu.edu/news/2015/10/16/prescription-drugs/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2017.

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