Adderall abuse on the college campus is statistically becoming a very prevalent issue. It spans the country invading public and private universities all over the nation. The biggest users come from some of the biggest academic bubbles this country has to offer, Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. However, Adderall abuse is not contained to the ivy leagues; it has grown to endemic status on some university campus and Oregon students are following the trend.
Walk around a college library during midterms and finals weeks in the United States and you will see a common theme, students cramming at the last-minute for an exam or working hard to write the perfect paper. The high stress job of being successful in today’s competitive academic environment is leading many students to look for an extra edge to make it over the hump.
Adderall is a prescription drug used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Narcolepsy in people of all ages. Adderall has become almost synonymous with the college campus because students have seen the competitive edge that use can bring to the classroom. A recent survey completed at Suffolk University showed that nearly 59% of the students have used the drug at least once (medically and non-medically). A similar survey conducted at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee showed that 75% of students knew someone that was taking the drug. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health added to these concerning numbers in their 2009 survey of the drug by finding that, “Full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year (6.4 vs. 3.0 percent).”
While these numbers are alarming, one of the biggest debates that have arisen is not whether the drug is safe or unsafe but whether Adderall is cheating or merely cognitive-enhancing?
In academia the debate has taken a different turn, Nature magazine came out in support of the use of cognitive enhancers in a 2008 article that has become a base for pro-enhancement arguments, “We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function.”
Should Adderall and other cognitive-enhancers be allowed legally or do you think this is cheating? Leave a comment below and let us know what your thoughts are.
Works Cited:
Associated Content: The Drug Adderall, Also Known as “Ivy League Crack,” is Not What it’s Cracked Up to Be
The Daily Princetonian: Juiced on Adderall
DrugFree.org: Stimulant Abuse on Campus
The NSDUH Report: Non-medical use of Adderall
Inside Vandy: Adderall, buying, selling, using at Vanderbilt
CollegeBingeDrinking.net: Adderall abuse increasing among college students
Suffolk Journal: Adderall use a growing problem among students
Nature Journal: Towards responsible use of cognitive enhancing drugs by the health
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