As a University of Maryland student, I have heard peers talk about using prescription drugs meant to treat the disorder ADHD to aid their studies. This includes, but isn’t limited to Adderall, the most common drug. Students also abuse Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Concerta. After researching the prevalence of prescription stimulant abuse, I found this is a common practice for an alarming number college students. As we will discuss later, many student abusers are unaware of the potential negative effects of these drugs, only acknowledging what they perceive as an increased cognitive ability during the high. As users share this perception of prescription amphetamines, more students are tempted to try it, creating a snowball effect. Alan Berkowitz, a Cornell Psychology Ph.D, explains this phenomenon as social norms theory, the tendency of people to conform to act in a way that they perceive as normal in society. This can become an issue when people perceive problematic behavior as normal, and contribute to a consensus that the behavior is okay. Regardless of whether or not one participates in the problematic activity, not saying anything at all still contributes to the public attitude of acceptance. In order to change a social norm, individuals must be outspoken and provide undeniable facts that will change the public’s perspective (Berkowitz). The first two studies I will discuss prove there are many people who should examine the facts I will provide about prescription stimulants.
PRESCRIPTION STIMULANTS ARE BEING ABUSED
These drugs come in many dosages, colors, shapes, and sizes
Adderall XR 30mg
Adderall instant release 10mg
Ritalin 10 mg
Vyvanse 70mg
The College Life Study examined the underage drinking and drug using behaviors of students from a large mid-Atlantic University. The students were first interviewed the summer before beginning college and once a year for the following four years. Heading into college, slightly more than one in ten of the 3849 students who were initially screened for the study admitted to using one of these stimulants without a prescription, and 11.7% of the 1253 who would remain for the rest of the study initiated use during the first year. By their senior year, almost two-thirds were offered prescription stimulants for nonmedical use, and 31.0% used (Garnier-Dykstra). According to this study, it is more likely than not for a college student to have the opportunity to abuse prescription stimulants. This study was conducted from 2004 until 2008, so it may be useful to pay attention to more recent data in the next.
The college Life Study
This study from 2013, looks to twitter to better understand use among college students. Over a year, around 213,000 tweets containing the term “Adderall” were monitored and it was found that around 13% of these mentioned a study aid as a motive (Hanson). Another 11.3% of the tweets mentioned co-ingesting Adderall with another substance, which is particularly troubling because using multiple drugs at once can be much more dangerous. The tweets not only prove illicit Adderall use is occurring, but also contribute to illicit use becoming more of a social norm as young adults view them and adapt this false perception of Adderall.
Hanson Twitter study
How the Meds Work
Adderall and similar medications are not useless. They are intended to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), a chronic disorder that has been diagnosed in millions of children. Persistent problems with sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior such as forgetfulness, careless mistakes, and fidgeting define ADHD (MayoClinic). Another smaller group of people use these same meds to treat narcolepsy. Research suggests a dopamine producing dysfunction is the fundamental cause of ADHD, so Ritalin, Adderall and similar drugs change the brain’s balance of neurotransmitters, which can increase the ability to concentrate. Specifically, they release dopamine (the brain’s pleasure/reward chemical). Because of this, the drugs are classified as controlled substances, only intended for those diagnosed with ADHD. Despite this classification, looking back at the College Life Study we can see ADHD medications are definitely not under control.
Scott Vrecko studied thirty eight users of non-prescribed stimulants to determine the main methods of obtaining these drugs. He found users would usually ask for the drug from a friend or family member with a prescription, purchase it from the black market, or fake a clinical condition to receive a prescription (Vrecko). There is now almost universal acknowledgement that too many children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD (Lacasse). This makes it very likely for someone to have a friend from which they can obtain these medications. Also, the symptoms of ADHD are known to be subjective and there is no definite test for the disorder, so it is clear a prescription for ADHD medication could easily be obtained by faking symptoms if a user needs more, or can’t find a friend with their pills. For diagnosis, the doctor carefully examines a patient’s medical and cognitive history. If they have described symptoms of ADHD in their past, the patient is diagnosed. Pediatrician Jill Kasper says she has trouble writing a prescription for those who don’t seek help until college, “but if somebody wants a prescription for Adderall, they can find someone to give it to them” (Cohen). After all, anyone seeking a prescription is likely telling the same story as those with the disorder, and a doctor cannot always be sure if someone is lying.
METHODS
"...if somebody wants a prescription for Adderall, they can find someone to give it to them” - Pediatrician Jill Kasper