I have felt the pressure of an upcoming due date; the stirring in the pit of my stomach, the swift kick in the side for not completing an assignment, forcing its way back up, screaming, “I know you didn’t forget about me!”. It was not until this year that I have decided to take action in how I manage my time. For most people, they will look for brain-boosting drugs to curve the consequences of procrastination. The misuse of Adderall, a most commonly prescribed stimulant to treat Attention-Deficit Disorder, is a growing on U.S. college campuses. Studies show a “…range from 7.1% to 29% among adults, 5.3% to 55% among college students, and 1.7% to 4.5% among adolescents” (Weyandt et al. 20). The abuse of Adderall and other ‘study drugs’ e.g. …show more content…
The reason behind this is not simply because of the side effects involved in taking brain-boosting drugs but because they give an ‘unfair’ advantage in an educational environment. Lamkin refutes, “But the instinct to view the problem as a form of unfair competition is itself a manifestation of the debased education culture that has rendered these drugs so attractive to students” (641). “ Motlow State Community College doesn’t classify the use of prescription drugs as ‘cheating’, however, in the General Regulations on Student Conduct and Disciplinary Sanctions in Student Affairs, “The unlawful use, possession, distribution, sale or manufacture of any drug or controlled substance…” this includes but is not “limited to, any stimulant, depressant, narcotic, or hallucinogenic drug or substances or marijuana), being under the influence of any drug or controlled substance, or the misuse of legally prescribed or “over the counter” drugs is prohibited”(Motlow State Community College, k). But how often do students follow honor codes? Of course sanctions will be given if the code of conduct is broken but for example, Motlow State Community College is a Tobacco-Free campus and to what extent is this upheld? I continue to see the parking lot littered with cigarette buds to this
Adderall is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to focus and other behaviors. Adderall is often prescribed to those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, and other brain disorders. Although the prescribed use of Adderall has helped those suffering attention deficit disorders, the recent rise in nonmedical use of Adderall has led to unfair academic advantages along with an increased pressure to use stimulants among students. Adderall is easily accessible on university campuses due to the lenient health care clinicians and the fact that one can find a person with a prescription willing to sell their pills or even give them away which has created a black market for the drug on campuses. College students are able to bypass psychiatrists and more stringent testing by going to the campus health clinic for an ADHD misdiagnosis (Stolz 2).
Stimulants like these are used by students because of the effects it has on the user. Adderall makes the user stay awake and feel alert and focused, this makes it the perfect drug for a college student looking to stay up all night to study. College students are the ones most commonly taking Adderall without a prescription because its effects can help students stay awake to cram for tests, Amy Laskowski in “The other side of Adderall” claims: “A fall 2007 American College Health Association study found that over 90 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all that they had to do” (1). It is not a surprise when it comes to college students using these illegal prescription drugs to boost abilities and to study harder and longer.
Duda also quotes study statistics by the Center for Substance Abuse Research who found that Adderall was the most popular drug taken by students to increase mental performance. He then goes on to explain the health risks from the drug and legal ramifications. He uses factual information stating that Adderall is a Schedule II drug, meaning using it without a prescription or selling it are state and federal crimes and can lead to expulsion from the University. The author then concludes the article by stating that students who do not take Adderall think that a chemically enhanced ability to focus gives users an unfair
The results of my research will just identify the problem and make known the extent of Adderall and stimulant abuse. Future research will be needed in three distinct directions in order to elicit a change in policies. The directions for future research are: (1) the effectiveness of stimulants on individuals without ADHD; (2) the long-term health effects of stimulant abuse in non-ADHD users; and (3) mechanisms to easily test for Adderall use in students. Research in the first field will determine if Adderall abusers are truly gaining an academic advantage over their non-abusing peers. If it is found that they are gaining an academic advantage, universities will be forced to make a change in order to preserve equality.
Staff writer at New York Times, Margaret Talbot, talks about an anonymous character named Alex, a Harvard graduate who used Adderall. In Talbot’s piece, written in 2009 titled Brain Gain, she speaks on the issue of “neuroenhancing” drugs being used for academic enhancement amongst college students. She talks about college students abusing these drugs, but when does this stimulant abuse start? The effects of stimulants are why a good majority of people think mostly college students (even without ADHD) use and abuse these drugs. Even if this may be true,
Final examinations will soon be taking place on college campuses across the United States, and on these campuses many students will resort to taking amphetamines in an effort to achieve the grades they desire. Whether they be blue, pink, or orange, there are few things in higher demand at universities during finals than these pills. Adderall, nicknamed Addy, is probably the most prominent, and is heavily relied on by students that want to speed through their remaining assignments. Despite being considered a “live-saver” by members of the college demographic, claims that it is the most abused prescription drug in America still exist. (cite)
Playing sports in high school is a privilege. Using drugs is a violation of the athletic program that all students should follow. Students should be tested for all drugs in there system at any time. If they want to illegally make themselves better then that is their choice to make, and if they wish to ruin their
According to the 2013 National College Health Assessment study, almost half of students surveyed stated they felt overwhelmed with anxiety in the last year (Novotney, 2014). These numbers continue to rise among high school students and college students around the country. It’s no question why the percentage of Adderall use among college students is also rising. Adderall is a drug commonly prescribed to treat ADHD and its symptoms; however, its use among students without the ailment is rising. The drug heightens students’ motivation, focus, and concentration (Student Health, 2016).
Although students may think that these requirements are making it hard to get treatment, it is hampering the abuse of Adderall. Duke University addressed the misuse of Adderall as declaring it as academic dishonesty, essentially cheating. Instead of trying to get a prescription or use Adderall illegally, students need to learn how to do things on their
Stimulant Abuse Among College Students Non-medical use of prescription drugs is prevalent among college students. Various publications have indicated that the abuse of prescription drugs on campus is becoming a major concern of medical practitioners (Weyandt and DuPaul). Although there are policies in place to reduce the access to prescription drugs, studies have revealed that these drugs are very accessible to students on campus. Stimulant medications, which are used to to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, are heavily used by college students. ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears in childhood and often continues well into adulthood.
When school finals approach, students act in desperate ways to find solutions for mental focus on selective subjects. Fifteen percent of college students have illegally been using Adderall the past year. Adderall impacts learning in various ways, but In the long run can cause more harm than aid. Adderall is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as part of a psychological and social issues. It helps to stay focused, pay better attention and stop fidgeting.
This habit that these students are getting used to is dangerous and because of these high stakes tests set forth by the state they are almost forced to take these performance enhancing drugs in order to pass the tests.
As we can see by the four different development domains, the abuse of substances has several negative outcomes and can be severely detrimental to the abuser. Although it is difficult to stop the abuse of substances, people who are dealing with this issue should seek help. Relying on drugs is
People often put off important tasks, whether it’s something easy or challenging, until the last minute. It’s not something to be proud of, but it’s not something that one can easily overcome. As most know, procrastination, according to the online Cambridge Dictionary, is the act of delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring. Although many dawdle due to psychological factors, more people, especially students, now find themselves being drawn to ongoing distractions from advancing technology and easy access to social media platforms that are affecting GPAs, sleep patterns, and general health. Technology was initially developed to help individuals to be more efficient with their tasks.
Drug Addiction : Treatment or Punishment? When a person takes a drug the chemicals affect the brain by interfering with how the neurons send messages. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the structure of Marijuana and Heroin mimic a natural neurotransmitter which tricks the receptors into allowing the drug to activate neurons inside the brain which interferes with messages and leads to abnormalities of behavior. With other drugs such as cocaine there is an abnormally large amount of neurotransmitters released which disrupts communication channels.