Cornell's student health center conducted a survey on alcohol and drug use. In addition to asking about the many recreational drugs that college students might be expected to use, the surveyors also inquired about the use of popular prescription stimulants to enhance classroom performance:
"Try Adderall‚ it may make a difference," states Richwood Pharmaceuticals, the company that markets and manufactures the prescription drug Adderall. This slogan reigns true for those college students that use Adderall to maintain an alert state during long periods of studying. At Cornell, students claim that not only does the drug alleviate the anxiety felt before a prelim or standardized test, but that it also helps them focus during a long day of studying at the library...
The drug was not designed for college recreational use, despite its popularity in this setting...Although it is prescribed to students diagnosed with ADHD, many claim that the drug induces the same response of increased attention in anyone who consumes it.
In its fall 2003 Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, Gannett Health Center asked students, "How frequently have you used a prescription stimulant, like Ritalin, Adderall, or Dexadrine, to enhance your academic performance (e.g., stay awake for long hours), without having your own prescription for the medication?"
Results from the survey found lower student Adderall use than popular opinion would suggest. In the study, 91.8 percent of students responded never, and only 1.2 percent of students responded yes to using the listed drugs one to two times in the past 30 days. There were 1,595 respondents, providing a response rate of 40 percent.
Despite these recent findings, it would appear that Adderall remains a popular studying tool among students and is readily accessible without a prescription.
"Just ask around, someone has it [Adderall]," said one student.
Students interviewed for this article referred to it as the "study drug."
Posted by kswygert at March 16, 2004 10:28 AM