Adderall-Nighter

With finals week just over the horizon, some students are feeling the pinch and \nratcheting up their study efforts. For some, the impetus of this increase in dedication to schoolwork can be found in the form of a small pill.\nSeniors Charlie Howard and Dan Park said they feel added pressure because of approaching finals. While neither of them have prescriptions for Adderall, a drug usually prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, both have used the drug in the past to help get an edge.\n“I’d say (study drug use) is pretty prevalent,” Howard said. “Use is pretty high in our circle.”\nThough no study currently exists regarding the prevalence of study drug use on IU campuses, for the past three years, the Counseling and Psychological Services has been compiling information about students who attempt to obtain the drugs through the IU Health Center, said Dr. Nancy Stockton, IU Health Center director.\nAccording to those statistics, between January 2005 and January 2008, 377 students began the screening process through which CAPS identifies who needs a prescription. However, 43 percent of those students failed to complete the assessment process, which includes CAPS contacting the students’ parents or guardians, a review of past grades and simple tests for Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD. Only 15 percent of the students actually received a prescription, which is written by a psychiatrist. The others who completed the process were found to have other treatable reasons for study trouble, Stockton said.\nSophomore Brian Blevins has had a prescription for Adderall since before he came to IU. \n“I only use it when I really need it,” Blevins said. “Typically only once or twice a week.”\nHowever, he said the drug is commonly sold to students who don’t have a prescription. It “infuriates” him because those who use it without a prescription are getting an unfair advantage in their schoolwork, Blevins said. \n“It does typically help with students’ studying,” he said. “But there are lots of people who have gotten through school without it.”\nOthers find no problem with un-prescribed use of the drugs to help students get an advantage when preparing for a test. \nThe drug is easily obtained from friends who have prescriptions, Park said.\nStockton warned of the dangers of abusing study drugs.\n“Most students tend not to see themselves as having a problem,” she said.\nHowever, use of study drugs comes with side effects just like any other drug, Stockton added.\nWhile she pointed to societal pressures as a main cause for abuse, she said the drug would likely do more harm than good. \n“They use the drug as a sort of crutch,” Stockton said.\nThis practice ultimately harms students’ own skill development if the drug is unnecessary, she added.\nBoth Howard and Park were aware of the side-effects of Adderall, including loss of appetite and loss of sleep. And while both said the side effects have deterred them from using the drug in the past, they see no reason to stop using it permanently.\n“I rarely use it, but when I do, I feel I’m pretty productive,” Howard said.