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Prescription drug usage has grown in recent years, increasingly by college students who lack a prescription.
On college campuses, prescription amphetamines are being used in larger and larger volumes. Some use it as an "upper" to counteract the effects of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. Particularly after smoking marijuana, prescription amphetamines can return a person to a midline state. But most use it to get an edge academically.
There are already stimulants-"No-Doze," Red Bull, and even caffeine-that students utilize for energy boosts. None of these stimulants require a prescription. But arguably the most popular prescription drug is Adderall, a stimulant prescribed generally to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
The popularity of Adderall overtook its predecessor, Ritalin, because of its time-released formula that can maintain its effect for an entire day. The drug is typically ingested or snorted-snorting makes it take effect much more quickly. Adderall is an amphetamine, the same chemical compound that inspired Jack Kerouac to write, "Amphetamines gave me a quickness of thought and writing that was at least three times my normal rhythm." One student at the University who wished to remain anonymous said that Adderall has the same effects as cocaine, except that with Adderall, "You can get shit done." That same intent for usage was reflected in an informal, anonymous survey for thirty students conducted by the Review. In a group made up of juniors and seniors at the University of Michigan, with most focusing on majors within the Literature, Science, and the Arts, a large number reported having used Adderall for academic purposes.
A majority of respondents said that they would be most likely to use it to study for finals, and a large number stated that they would use it to help them concentrate, with responses such as to "study more effectively" or to "focus on studying and homework when I have a lot to do."
The dealers who may sell marijuana, cocaine, or prescription drugs used more often for recreational purposes do not typically sell Adderall, according to students who frequent the drug. Generally, one person will have a prescription filled for the drug and then give out pills to friends or sell them to acquaintances. Because diagnosis for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is extremely subjective, a valid prescription for the drug can be obtained extremely easily. As can be expected, prices and usage go up astronomically during reading periods and before major due dates for papers, ranging from five dollars per pill to around twenty percent.
One user, after using the drug to finish a paper, said that she had been able to type for four straight hours. Slate.com writer Joshua Foer described his one-week Adderall experiment in 2005: "I didn't feel like I was becoming smarter or even like I was thinking more clearly. I just felt more directed, less distracted by rogue thoughts, less day-dreamy. I felt like I was clearing away underbrush that had been obscuring my true capabilities."
The drug is typically safe, but has the same effects as other amphetamines: wakefulness, jitteriness, and an eventual drop-off in energy.
Adderall seems like the answer to a student's prayers: the ability to stay awake and stay entirely focused on a project or paper. But it remains to be seen if the drug's effects on a long-term basis are as benign, particularly after the Canadian government banned a form of the drug several years ago for possibly contributing to cardiac health problems. However, it is unlikely that in the high-pressure environment of a university, prescription amphetamine use will go down anytime soon.
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