The Forum

Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Feature

This article is based on interviews of students within the Westminster community. Some names have been changed to protect privacy.

Students, stress and the study drug.
Sixty-one percent of Westminster students have considered using a study drug, like Adderall, according to an informal survey on-campus. "I use Adderall when everything piles on," says SarahBaker, arts administration major. "It's those days where there are two projects, papers and a test due."

Adderall
According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health,in 2008 full-time college students ages 18 to 22 were twice as likely to misuse Adderallcompared to those who had not been in college at all or were part-time students.

Adderall is a prescription drug often used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).According to webmd.com,Adderall is a combination of stimulants (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine). Physicians believe Adderall and similar drugs work by restoring the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

"It helps me focus"
Adderall is reported to increase the ability to stay focused, pay attention and control behavior. "I don't think it makes my ability any better, but it makes me more motivated," saysBaker, who is not prescribed Adderall.

Chad Labdon, communication major, agrees with Baker,Adderall helps him stay focused. "I've only used it when I procrastinated for too long and needed to get something done," says Labdon to explain why he's used Adderall without a prescription.

Labdon says the drug doesn't make much of a difference. "It's not like it makes me smarter," he says. "When I'm in a crunch, it helps me focus."

Labdon says he uses Adderall as a last resort when he's pressured for time. "I'll plan four hours to write a paper," says Labdon. "But I need an extra two hours to wander-I need to cut the random wanderings."
Using Adderall, Labdon says, keeps him motivated and focused. "When you're on it and you have a task in mind it's the best thing in the world," saysLabdon, who first tried Adderall his freshman year.

"It's a little boost when everything's coming together," says Adam Williams to explain why he has misused Adderall.
"It keeps me focused and motivated to do what I need to do," says Tony Umpierre, undeclared major, who is prescribed Daytrana, a drug similar to Adderall.

According to Robert Johnson, economics major, the reason its okay for students to misuse Adderall is because they are adults and know the dangers of it. He believes users often don't consider Adderall an illicit drug. Johnson says, "Since it's a pill, people are more willing to take it."

Continued...

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