Those who deny any ill health-effects from these drugs are mistaken. They say they are not as bad as drugs such as cocaine and deny the permanent reduction of dopamine, but my argument references studies which have shown abuse can be neurotoxic and lead to heart problems. Those with ADHD already have low levels of dopamine and the drug doesn’t affect them the same way so it is illogical to assume nonmedical use is safe solely because people use it medically. As mentioned earlier, people need to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and analysis of any heart problems. This allows them to be certain they will not have a bad reaction to the drug.
Although those who use the drugs believe they are experiencing improved ability, this is from the strong emotional enhancement caused by the stimulants (Vrecko 2). The double-blind study showed those who thought they experienced improvement really had not. I agree that people do have the liberty to put what they want into their body, but urge them to realize these prescription stimulants are not worth it. They would not improve society for the same reason they do not help the individual. Even though the drug can motivate someone to do work, and people insist they only use in “moderation,” when does that stop? After college, many students will be encountered with much more stressful and serious situations than an exam or term paper. It can be easy to fall into the trap of not knowing where to stop because there will always be another dead line, and the tolerance for the drug and risk of addiction increases with every dose.
Everybody struggles to focus sometimes - it is a natural part of being a human. I find it disturbing for someone to take a drug that alters the brain’s chemicals in order to be happy with the work they’re are doing. Although these drugs may allow people to function on minimal rest and cram for deadlines, this situation can be avoided by taking initiative in ones work. People should pursue a career or field of study which interests them, accept the value of learning, and do it in a healthy way. If they lack motivation, they should see a therapist to adress this mental health issue rather than attempting to solve it themselves by shoving medicine with very real and dangerous side effects down their throats.
Rebuttal To Abusers
HOW DO WE STOP ABUSE?
As the current policies for controlling these medications are not working, some people focus on developing a plan of government intervention to end the prevalence of this illicit use. Plans that have been discussed vary greatly. Some suggest a coffee-shop policy, similar to that in the Netherlands, where anyone of age is free to purchase these drugs. Others go as far as to suggest creating a government agency solely dedicated to prohibiting use (Dubljević).
Any policy allowing use would cause too many people to believe nonmedical use to be less serious than it is and therefore should not be put in to action. Also, as long as people are prescribed these stimulants as a medicine for ADHD, methods of control won’t work either. It has been shown that it is too easy to divert the medication through faking diagnosis or obtaining it from the outstanding number of people who have been prescribed. Some suggest testing those with prescriptions to be sure they are using their medication, but this would only be accurate with daily testing and that would be intrusive. Daily testing would be the only accurate means because these drugs clear out of the system very quickly with a half-life of 9-14 hours for the average dose of 30 milligrams.
GovernMents ROLE?
The only way to change the prevalence of prescription stimulant abuse is to stand up against the social norm and spread the word. People who are well-informed on the dangers of prescription stimulants need to warn their substance-abusing peers in order to change the widely accepted view of these medications. This can be difficult if the user truly perceives the drug to be helping them, but a leader needs to be firm and provide the facts which prove non-prescription use of stimulants to be illogical. It would be convincing to first prove to the user how ineffective the drugs are at actually improving any cognition, then describe the negative effects of the drugs. Physically, they create a risk for heart problems, and have a high potential for addiction from the release of dopamine which the user can begin to crave. Over time, this excess release of dopamine decreases the user’s core dopamine levels which can lead to mental health issues. It should be clear to any non-medical user that these risks are not worth the perceived reward, and those who understand this should take on the responsibility of spreading the word to end the social norm of prescription stimulant abuse.