Grades are important, but for some overly ambitious students, they are more important than their health.
Adderall is a prescription drug that is prescribed for kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now, the drug is being clandestinely used to improve grades on college campuses. Since the drug is known for its ability to promote concentration and focus, students desperate to get a winning edge in school are popping it in order to enhance their ability to retain knowledge, stay up later and work faster during study sessions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 23 percent of young people admitted to abusing prescription drugs, and Adderall was one of the most common. In fact, the drug is so common among college students that on campus it is commonly referred to as the “study drug.”
This medically-unsupervised method for taking this prescription medication has health and medical experts, as well as teachers and parents, extremely concerned over the pressure today’s students face while trying to succeed in school.
The FDA has been keeping a watchful eye on the drug since it was approved for use in the 1990s. In early 2006, the FDA announced that, for the past two years, they have been monitoring cases of cardiovascular injury and sudden death in patients taking Adderall. According to FDA officials, more than 50 cases of sudden death have occurred in American adults and children taking the drug or medications that contain similar ingredients. Adderall is a combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, two stimulatory drugs that can lead to addiction.
According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, Adderall can cause death in children and adults with an existing heart condition. In addition, it has been linked to stunted growth in kids, and comes with a host of side effects like increased heart rate, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, seizures and hallucinations.
Prescription drugs can be just as lethal as illicit drugs. If you or someone you know is taking Adderal to improve their grades, it is important to get the necessary help, as soon as possible.
Also read:
Teenage Drug and Alcohol Abuse on the Decline
Selling Drugs to Pay for College
Number of Smokers is Down on College Campuses
posted on August 24th, 2010
by Heather, Wellness Editor
Tags: adderall, drug abuse, drugs, Health, teenage substance abuse
Posted in Campus Life, Health, High School, News | 5 Comments »
September 10th, 2011 at 11:28 am
[...] Adderall Poses Serious Health Risks [...]
June 17th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
[...] of drug use, according to students. The majority of students using prescription drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin report using the drugs not as social stimulants but as study aids for academic [...]
December 10th, 2010 at 1:01 am
[...] and hold interactive discussions afterward. Race to Nowhere highlights a terrifying truth: some students are turning to drugs so that they can more easily juggle all of their commitments. Parents and school officials must [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
[...] Adderall, the Study Drug, Poses Serious Health Risks [...]
October 17th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
[...] battled a heavy drug and alcohol addiction in the 1970s and early 1980s. He entered rehab in 1986 and has been sober for [...]