Kyle Craig and his Abuse on Adderall

The Clinton foundation reports that between the years 1993 and 2006, the magnitude of college students who use prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, has increased by 93%, which suggests that Adderall usage in universities are at a record high (Clinton 2015). According to the National Institute of health, cognitive enhancing drugs are pharmaceuticals that are taken to improve one’s memory, learning, focus, attention, and other cognitive skills (Mehlman 2004). Adderall is a central nervous stimulant that is prescribed by a primary physician for treating medical conditions such as narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Smith). Alan Desantis, a professor at the University of Kentucky, conducted a research

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the military ordered amphetamines and shipped them out to soldiers in Vietnam as a stimulant to keep them awake and aware for longer periods, while in the United States these amphetamines such as methamphetamine and cocaine became a recreational drug used in parties and a way to “be cool”. Compare this with today’s cognitive enhancing smart drug, which is still an amphetamine: the military is testing these smart drugs on soldiers to make them more effective with less sleep and prolonged battle and in the States, people use them off label to avoid jetlag or to write 9 page papers in 2 hours. In both these scenes, these drugs have received little coverage until they became popular and their effects became realized. “The effects of chronic, high doses of amphetamine are toxic; it can cause psychosis, depression and cognitive deficits, which are sometimes irreversible”, says Maia Szalavitz of Time Magazine (Popping). Although Piracetam and Modafinil are not amphetamines, drugs like Adderall and others used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are amphetamines and are very popular in the cognitive enhancing world. That is why nootropics are dangerous; hardworking students and

In a society where quantity of work overpowers quality of work, there is no wonder why "neuroenhancing" drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are on the rise of consumption. As more people adopt the idea that these drugs are cognitively beneficial; the more they secretly use them for non-medical reasons. Margaret Talbot, a writer for The New Yorker, looks more into this problem in her article, "From Brain Gain: The Underground World of "Neuroenhancing" Drugs". Throughout this article Talbot focuses on a new trend of drug use, such as Adderall and Ritalin, for non-medical intentions. She focuses mainly on the increase of drug use by scholars and public intellectuals throughout her article. Talbot successfully proves to her audience that non-medical

The addiction of methamphetamine amongst juvenile’s and adults has reached epidemic proportions that affect the individual, families and communities. Methamphetamine abuse has crossed all social economic boundaries that have negatively impacted law enforcement, social and clinical services. According to Anglin, Burke, Perrochet, Stamper and Dawud-Noursi (2000), methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal, or speed, is a substance that affects the central nervous system creating a stimulant effect that can be injected, smoked, snorted, or ingested orally. Individuals who use meth for an extensive period of time tend to become addicted and will likely need to continue to use meth at high levels for its effects to continue to provide the euphoric symptoms and sensations. Anglin, et al, also describe methamphetamine as a derivative of amphetamine, this form of amphetamine was often used for medication purposes in the 1950’s and 1960’s to treat symptoms of depression and obesity. Durell, Kroutil, Crits-Christoph, Barchha, and Van Brunt (2008), also stated that illicit methamphetamine use is a public health concern in the United States with an increase use among teens and young adults in the 1990s. The Mental Health Services Administration conducted a national survey on meth use in the United States and found that currently as least a half a million of Americans used or have used methamphetamine. Meth use is an epidemic that is slowly becoming a destructive

When growing up, nothing is more frustrating then giving your best effort in your school work and continuously being unsuccessful. The effect it can have on a child is very damaging. Students may feel inadequate and non-intelligent in the classroom setting growing up, not to mention, being confused all at the same time about why school is such an ongoing battle for them. Why are these children trying so hard and never having any success? It is more and more common today; more than ever we see children having these problems inside and outside of classrooms all over the world. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can become very problematic in a child’s

One out of every four Americans suffered from a mental illness, yet 60% of them never received treatment (Berkowicz, 2013). An increased awareness of the effect of psychiatric drugs led some to believe that use of them by teen led to violence. In the last several years 31 acts of school violence occurred by people taking, on withdrawal of, or abusing psychiatric drugs. These

Finals week remains a stressful time for college students. A student may have three to five tests in a matter of four days. However, these tests, unlike most, can be worth up to twenty percent of a semester grade. That is a great amount of pressure on a student. With about six hours of sleep a night, eighteen hours of study never seems like enough. Then again, there may be a solution that allows the student to focus on the study so eighteen hours is enough. Better yet, maybe sleep is unnecessary. This is a reality for the 6.4 percent of college students that use unprescribed Adderall. College students all over the country take Adderall everyday to improve performance in school.

Reference: Varga, M. D. (2012). Adderall Abuse on College Campuses: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 9(3), 293-313. doi:10.1080/15433714.2010.525402

Did you know that college students who were nonmedical users of Adderall are almost 3 times as likely as those who had not used Adderall nonmedical to have used marijuana in the past year, 8 times more likely to have used cocaine and been non users of prescription tranquilizers? Are we trying to promote drug use in are youth by making it so easy to attain Adderall for people who do not really require it.

Talbot describes the uses of the stimulates to stay awake to power through long nights to complete papers or deadlines, as well as to take lengthy exams (2009). Several testimonials are provides in “Brain Gain” of students that use Adderall for these very reasons in their schooling career (Talbot, 2009). Using the stimulate has led to abuse problems by the users, leading them to experience harsh side effects such as lack of appetite and loss of sleep (Talbot, 2009). Talbot (2009) mentions the label on the amphetamine warns of a “high potential for abuse” for the user! The author emphasizes the growing and evident issue of Adderall being taken for nonmedical reasons to act as a quick fix for those needing an enhancement to their cognitive abilities (Talbot,

Margaret Talbot “From Brain Gain: The underground world of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” aims to illustrate how the use of neurotransmitters are in the college setting in attempt to aid college students with their busy lives. Using an unbiased tone, relatable people, and comparisons to convey her message, she creates a very realistic view of the current use or abuse of “brain-boosting” drugs.

As stated in the article, "Adderall Abuse Alters Brain, Claims a Young Life" James claims “Selling or giving away these drugs may harm others, and is against the law, as well” (James 8). This claim, supported by FDA spokesmen, implies that the selling or giving away of these drugs without a prescription or right to do so is an illegal act. When these drugs are taken by college students who do not have a prescription, they are commencing in the act of buying and using drugs. These drugs are treated as illegal, just like mainstream drugs, not only will it risk health, but also if caught with these drugs it will have the same consequences. The article “Adderall Legal Status” by Addiction blog states that it is illegal to have or dispense Adderall without a prescription, and those who sell or use it illegally get penalized (Addiction Blog 2). This statement means that whoever uses Adderall without prescription is committing a crime which can be punished by law. This proves that taking Adderall without having the right to is an illegal act that can be penalized. So every time one takes this drug to improve their performance in college, they are committing a

At The University of North Dakota, 18 year-old freshman, Zac was stressed about his schedule; balancing academics, work, and athletics all while maintaining a social life. With another busy week ahead and an important exam coming up, he felt the need to do something about his situation. He knew caffeine it wouldn’t be enough this time. Within 10 minutes, he found himself knocking on the dorm two doors down and within 15 minutes had Adderall in his possession. This pill that was supposed to be a one-time thing became a daily ritual in order to make it through the day. Zac, like many others who abused the prescription had become addicted. Adderall is a highly addictive medication most commonly prescribed to those who have ADHD or attention deficit

Americans are generally unaware that some of the most frequently prescribed drugs are nearly identical to illegal street drugs. For instance, Ritalin, or methylphenidate, is prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Ritalin, like Adderall, is a stimulant that produces virtually the same effects as amphetamines. Now, Americans consume approximately 90% of the world’s Ritalin. Certainly, there are children that seem to benefit from these drugs, but there’s clearly a profit motive that results in unnecessary prescriptions. Some studies estimate that as many as 1,000,000 American children are

College students are embarking on what is likely to be the best years of their lives, but they are also enrolled to receive a necessary educational foundation that will assist them into their future. While in college, students are expected to be active in athletics, Greek life, organizations, and in addition excel academically in all of their courses. For assistance throughout their difficult and demanding college journey some student use “smart drugs” to stay focused, improve their memory, and ultimately enhance their intelligence. The article "The Ethics of “Smart Drugs”: Moral Judgments About Healthy People's Use of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs" from the publication Basic & Applied Social Psychology explains that “smart drugs” are also called cognitive-enhancing drugs and when correctly used they are prescribed by physicians to lessen the symptoms for diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer’s disease, and narcolepsy (Scheske and Schnall 508). Healthy individuals misusing these drugs to gain academic success is unfair.