Adderall abuse not worth it in the long run
Quetzalli Castro
Issue date: 9/28/09 Section: Pulse
Now that the semester is well underway all us students have reached that big hurdle of surviving the first round of exams for the classes we have. Even though the college life is a high-pressure lifestyle many students are capable of making the grade through honest studying and dedication. At the same time there is a population of students that are using drugs such as Adderall for non-medical use to gain edge in their studying, test taking and grades. In a study released by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) it found that, "Full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year."
Although they might use Adderall for short-term gain, long-term results of its abuse can have far greater negative effects. One reason for this is that Adderall is an amphetamine and among the group of legally approved drugs classified as having the highest potential for dependence or abuse.
Furthermore, the study found that full-time college students who had used Adderall non-medically in the past year were almost three times more likely to use marijuana, eight times more likely to use cocaine, eight times more likely to use tranquilizers non-medically, and five times more likely to use pain relievers non-medically when compared to students who did not abuse the drug.
"Use of both cocaine and stimulants is problematic because each increases the risk for heart attack or stroke. Students who use Adderall non-medically also may need to take central nervous system depressants such as pain relievers or tranquilizers-which carry their own risks of dependence or abuse-to counteract the stimulant effects of Adderall ," asserts NSDUH report.
There have always been unconfirmed stories around campus that talk about students who take Adderall to study for exams and then later have to take sleeping pills in order to fall asleep, or those who drink while abusing the drug and end up in a hospital emergency room because of it.
An anonymous third year Chemistry major here at UIC commented on his own experience with non-medical usage of Adderall by saying that, "I felt that Adderall does serve it's purpose by allowing me to be more attentive, but at the end of the rush, it didn't really help me pass my exam. Sadly though, Adderall was the first thing in my life I didn't hesitate to take, which is a pretty scary afterthought." Like this student many decide to use the drug as a way to do better in their classes, but many mistake this drug for a miracle worker.
The reality is that Adderall is a drug that helps students concentrate, but it will not take an exam or study for students. This is not a short cut to a good grade because students still need to gain the knowledge through studying or attending lectures; this is not something to take last minute when a student hasn't studied at all and procrastinated.
Although they might use Adderall for short-term gain, long-term results of its abuse can have far greater negative effects. One reason for this is that Adderall is an amphetamine and among the group of legally approved drugs classified as having the highest potential for dependence or abuse.
Furthermore, the study found that full-time college students who had used Adderall non-medically in the past year were almost three times more likely to use marijuana, eight times more likely to use cocaine, eight times more likely to use tranquilizers non-medically, and five times more likely to use pain relievers non-medically when compared to students who did not abuse the drug.
"Use of both cocaine and stimulants is problematic because each increases the risk for heart attack or stroke. Students who use Adderall non-medically also may need to take central nervous system depressants such as pain relievers or tranquilizers-which carry their own risks of dependence or abuse-to counteract the stimulant effects of Adderall ," asserts NSDUH report.
There have always been unconfirmed stories around campus that talk about students who take Adderall to study for exams and then later have to take sleeping pills in order to fall asleep, or those who drink while abusing the drug and end up in a hospital emergency room because of it.
An anonymous third year Chemistry major here at UIC commented on his own experience with non-medical usage of Adderall by saying that, "I felt that Adderall does serve it's purpose by allowing me to be more attentive, but at the end of the rush, it didn't really help me pass my exam. Sadly though, Adderall was the first thing in my life I didn't hesitate to take, which is a pretty scary afterthought." Like this student many decide to use the drug as a way to do better in their classes, but many mistake this drug for a miracle worker.
The reality is that Adderall is a drug that helps students concentrate, but it will not take an exam or study for students. This is not a short cut to a good grade because students still need to gain the knowledge through studying or attending lectures; this is not something to take last minute when a student hasn't studied at all and procrastinated.
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