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Adderall Epidemic On College Campuses

Adderall is an amphetamine to treat either ADHD or narcolepsy. When used as prescribed, this drug provides increased wakefulness, mild euphoria, and improved cognitive control. Unfortunately, this last effect Adderall has become the drug of choice for “academic doping” in college.

Both anecdotal evidence and clinical trials have shown that the increase in cognitive control from this drug results in improved working memory. As a result, students take it as a mental performance-enhancing drug. As a result, they can study more efficiently and recall better.

  • Furthermore, because it increases wakefulness, fatigue does not interfere with studying. It helps some college students during all-night cram sessions.
  • The number of students in college that are abusing this drug is increasing at a high rate. It has become part of the fabric of life on modern college campuses.

This drug is a combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, which are central nervous system stimulants. It affects the brain and the nerves contributing to impulse control and hyperactivity. It mainly treats ADHD, but college students use it as a study drug. As a result, it has gained significant acceptance and uses among young people. However, users can quickly become addicted and have long-term effects beyond the years they are in college.

Research shows that full-time students are more likely to abuse it than their part-time counterparts. The number of users will vary depending on the school, with elite private universities having the most significant proportion of abusers.

  • 81% of students believe they are using it for the right reasons: to be more productive in class and be more competitive.
  • They also feel that the drug is not dangerous at all.
  • Depending on their schedule and workload, a typical user will use it once a month or several times a week.
  • 30% of all college students have used stimulants at least once.

There are several reasons that college students might choose to use. The most common sense is that it allows them to study longer, sleepless, and increases other substances’ impact. Apart from these reasons, they use it to enhance their athletic performance and lose weight.

  • The drug is often a study drug since it helps students focus and function well without sleep.

Around the exam period, many students will be in the library studying and not partying. In such an environment where there is an endless workload, students might need a quick fix to help them buckle down.

Students who cannot fit in enough to study before exams will use the drug to stay awake, study, and not feel tired. Unfortunately, many students are also using it for partying.

  • The number of deaths and emergency room visits has more than doubled in the past few years.

By the end of their college study, many students who did not use them will have prescriptions from clinicians in the vicinity. It does not take long for students to know which doctor they should visit and what to say to get a prescription. Even if the student with a prescription does not want to use them, he can sell them since they have a high resale value.

The most significant barrier to stopping the abuse is changing the attitude of the students. Most believe the end justifies the means. Not many students believe it is addictive, and this is a significant concern. Universities are dealing with this situation by holding discussions and talks with students, but this is ineffective since many who turn up for the conference do not use it. Thus, the problem becomes convincing users to attend the lectures.

Suppose you have been diagnosed with ADHD or narcolepsy and are taking this drug, nothing illegal about using it. And, assuming you are taking medicine as prescribed, you should experience no academic consequences. However, it provides a minimal advantage when the drug is at the prescribed doses and specified times. Instead, it simply creates a roughly even playing field with students who don’t face difficulties from these conditions.

On the other hand, if you abuse a legally prescribed drug for performance enhancement, you could face academic consequences. As a result, many schools are treating academic doping as a form of cheating. However, since it is also drug addiction, students can often undergo drug rehabilitation procedures instead of more severe consequences than other types of cheating might earn.

However, the only way to get the drug is illegal unless under a doctor’s care. Drug dealers are typical on many campuses. Students who have prescribed the drug sell tablets to those that aren’t. While the person selling the drug is committing a more serious felony, you could also get severe legal trouble if purchasing or even possessing the medicine without a prescription.

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