Professional Documents
Culture Documents
May 7, 2017
Written Communications II
What are the negative effects, both physical and mental, of non-
a phrase that college students know all too well. College is a highly
Nothing is worse than putting a lot of effort into school work and
Adderall and Ritalin are drugs used for the treatment and control of
dopamine, and norepinephrine (Yanes). For people with ADHD, the drug helps
them attain a normal ability to focus on daily tasks without becoming easily
distracted. Adderall and other ADHD stimulants are used to treat a chemical
drug that has some accepted medical use, but has a high potential for abuse
means that there is a high risk for addiction of abuse, and its usage should
Tori Byrd
May 7, 2017
Written Communications II
Adderall abuse can lead to high blood pressure, seizures, motor or verbal
more (Hom). Many people that become addicted to Adderall need the drug to
carry out normal daily functions. They will develop a tolerance and need a
higher dosage to get the same effect (Hom). Long term and chronic abuse of
School obligations do not stop when students leave the classroom, and
other aspects of daily life come into play (Blair). College students have to
find time to attend class, complete assignments, work, and study for test,
and this causes a lot of stress. There never seems to be enough time in the
day. This drives college students to abuse ADHD stimulants. They help
students stay awake longer and increase their alertness. As a result, they are
2009 (Yanes). Most of the college students who use Adderall are ages of 18-
Tori Byrd
May 7, 2017
Written Communications II
Adderall to cram for tests and stay up all night. It prolongs attention and
stamina during study time. Some students use it as a party drug. They use
the drug in conjunction with other drugs and alcohol (Blair), but more than
Since colleges students use the drug to get better grades, its seen as
was "not dangerous at all" (Yanes). This is a key reason why ADHD
Students do not think that Adderall is any worse than drinking coffee or
and this will make a better life for themselves (Blair). The low perceived
harmfulness of Adderall increases the risk of illicit drug use among college
students (Blair).
increased by 369% to 23.4 million (Blair). Many students who are prescribed
ADHD medication do not use it every day. Instead, they sell it or share it.
Adderall is generally sold for aroung $6-$8 per pill (Hom). Over the recent
years, there has been a 90% increase in the number of adults who have been
prescribed Adderall (Blair). This has led to the illicit use of the drug on
college campuses. Majority of stimulants being used for illicit use by college
students, come from come from students that are being treated for ADHD
(Hom).
takes less than fifteen minutes and a few simple questions to receive a
for an Adderall diagnosis (Blair). This makes it hard for health care
Tori Byrd
May 7, 2017
Written Communications II
about diagnosing ADHD and prescribing Adderall and other stimulants (Blair).
This information suggests that ADHD is being over diagnosed, and Adderall is
are many factors that encourage students to use them. Students justify their
use for academic reasons, and are in denial about the harmful physiological