He was failing his engineering class last fall, but took a
prescription drug meant to enhance concentration to study for his
final. He ended up with a B+.
The second-year engineering student, who asked that his name not
be used, said he was able to study intensively for eight straight
hours because of the drug. “You just focus. You read the book
the first time and get it,” he said.
Like many students who use the drug, the engineering student was
not a prescribed user at the time, and got a hold of the drug
through friends.
With finals right around the corner, some students may be
looking to use Adderall, a stimulant used to treat
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The use of the drug is
quickly becoming a dangerous trend with students looking for an
easy way to boost their grades.
Adderall, though being used by some students as a study aid, is
meant to increase the attention span of ADHD patients. “The
medicine is useful for improving attention and focus, as well as
motivation and distractibility,” said James McGough, a
professor of clinical psychiatry. “The effect of the medicine
is the same in virtually everyone. (Adderall) will help anyone
concentrate.”
Even with this general definition, though, experts disagree on
how Adderall affects different users.
Miriam Grossman, a staff psychiatrist at Student Psychological
Services, said there’s some variance in the effect of the
drug depending on the person.
“It’s not like taking a Tylenol,” she said.
“Insomnia, difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite could
occur to anyone, prescribed or not.”
“Some people get irritable. … It can cause tics,”
said Jill Waterman, a coordinator of the UCLA psychology
clinic.
After using Adderall once, the engineering student isn’t
sure he’ll use it again. His friends told him he spoke slower
than usual while on the drug. He said he felt jittery, dehydrated
and had a dry mouth at times.
He also said he was afraid of becoming dependent on the
drug.
“I’d be afraid to use it so much because I
wouldn’t want to stop,” he said. “You end up
craving it.”
Yet Nick, a first-year philosophy student who asked that his
last name not be used, said he did not feel the same way. Nick used
Adderall this past Tuesday to stay up all night and write a paper
until 8 a.m.
“I had a lot of work to do, and needed to just sit down
and do it,” he said.
Nick said he didn’t notice any side effects other than
being able to stay wide awake for a long period of time. “I
don’t feel any different at all,” he said.
“I’m sure a lot of it has to do with how you take
it.”
Unlike the engineering student, who ingested the capsules whole,
Nick crushed the capsules into fine powder to speed up the process.
Nick also said he has friends who use the drug for recreational
purposes by crushing the drug and snorting it.
Using Adderall as a recreation or study aid rather than as a
prescribed medication gives rise to several health and ethical
issues that have become prominent in the public sphere over the
past couple years. “Medically, it’s unwise. Just like
any other prescription drug, it’s meant to be taken by the
person whose name is on the medication vial and no one else,”
Grossman said.
There has also been an increase in students coming in for ADHD
evaluations at Student Psychological Services. The center has
recently had to limit the number of evaluations offered per week
because so many students have requested examinations for ADHD
prescriptions. “Medication has a place, it’s certainly
called for, but at the same time, some people are seeking it a
little bit too easily,” she said.
As a study aid, Nick doesn’t believe the drug gives an
unfair advantage to certain students.
“It’s not like steroids or anything like that. I
still sat down and did all the work,” he said. “I think
it’s just like drinking coffee.”