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SEX & HEALTH
I find the use of Adderall for weight loss particularly troubling.” June Stevens, Chair at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
ADDICTED
Students have long abused Adderall to cut corners academically. With demand for the drug at an all-time high, Adderall is becoming a dangerous cocktail for party-goers looking to keep a buzz late into the night. BY ANNA LIPPINCOTT | PHOTOS BY JULIA LEIBY
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vidly playing “World of Warcraft,” Brian Brown* sits on the edge of his seat. His fingers fly across the keyboard and his character on the screen jumps and turns with every click. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die,” he murmurs quickly and keeps tapping away. Some may attribute his restlessness to the intensity of the game, others to his competitive nature; but the real reason lies within a single pill. That little orange pill demands the complete focus and attention of its users. It helps even the most unorganized and scatterbrained students stay on task. That little pill is Adderall. It’s the size of a pinky nail and the color of a ripe tangerine. It’s quickly swapped in dorm halls with a price tag of only five dollars— the cost of a movie rental on iTunes. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Adderall is
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backdrop | Spring 2013
only one step in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and is designed to keep users alert and focused. Adderall triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, which counteracts the effects of ADD. The little pill, commonly used to help ADD patients focus, and narcolepsy patients stay awake, has become very prevalent on OU’s campus. Many students choose to the National Institute of Health’s disclaimer stating that the drug itself is addictive and taking large amounts may “no longer control your symptoms, [and] you may feel the need to take large amounts of the medication.” Just like drinking alcohol over a period of time builds up tolerance, constantly overdosing on Adderall simply causes the body to crave more and more. For non-ADD students like Brian, the path to addiction has already begun. After only taking Adderall once in high
Feeling dizzy? Drink ginger tea.
school to focus better on the ACT, he would hardly be considered a drug abuser. But now, after starting his freshman year, he’s increased his usage; a lot. Brian is consuming Adderall four times a week and takes multiple doses to amp up its effects. A normal dose for him is two 20mg tablets of Adderall with an additional 40mg tablet of Vyvanse, Adderall’s sister drug. Vyvanse is the newer version of Adderall and is typically more expensive than the original ADD drug. The draw for Brian is that it gives him a little edge when he is studying. He says it helps him grasp concepts more easily and that he’s able to study for 12 hours straight when on the pill. In a recent article from The New York Times, “Attention Disorder or Not, Pills to Help in School,” one Georgia doctor claims that the prescription of pills such as Adderall is simply “an excuse” to treat poor academic performance. Despite doctors’ criticisms, Brian continues to use the drug and has even found unconventional ways of taking it to get quicker results. “If you’re looking for a more intense, short burst of focus, then you’re going to want to crush it up and snort it,” he explains. The immediate effects will last you two hours, sometimes a bit more. Vyvanse, on the other hand, can hurt to sniff, “but if you crush it up the right way, it doesn’t really hurt to snort,” Brian suggests. Taking Adderall without food in one’s system leads to a quicker attention grab. Unlike marijuana, taking Adderall on an empty stomach means you keep an empty stomach. Users never reported getting a case of the munchies on the pill, and girls sometimes take it as a way to lose weight because it fights off hunger urges. According to an ABC News story, this is a troubling revelation. “I find the use of Adderall for weight
loss particularly troubling,” Chair of the Department of Nutrition at Chapel Hill, June Stevens, says. “So many of our youth take Adderall for attention deficit disorder. I fear it may lead to eating disorders and dependency on the drug as a weight loss aid.” For Clark Green*, taking the drug for a study-buzz is not his number one priority. In fact, he says he has yet to use the drug for school purposes. He snorts Adderall on a regular basis because of the “amazing pump in the gym” it gives him and his incredible ability to focus on a single task while working out. The wonder-drug seems to do it all: promote a study high for a Dean’s Lister, encourage weight loss for a body-conscious girl and help an athlete focus on his workout. But the pill-popping habit comes at a cost—a high one at that, especially for students on a college budget. Although the “under the table” prices of the pill may vary, Brian and Clark say they pay about five dollars for each 20mg pill and anywhere from eight to 10 dollars for a 40mg pill. Having a prescription, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper. Freshman Julia Justice, a prescribed Adderall user, says she refuses to sell her 10mg pills, which would go on the market for around three dollars. Students like Brian and Clark crave the luxury of legal, parent-paid medication and plan to ask their doctors for a prescription. According to Julia, she got her Adderall just by telling her doctor she planned to study Pre-Med. Her doctor told her Adderall helped her get through medical school and was quick to write Julia a prescription. Brian echoes the idea of easy prescription access and says there are five kids on his floor who are prescribed the pill because their parents know doctors who got it for them. In addition to its monetary cost, Adderall does take a toll on one’s body, whether you are a prescribed user or not. The drug makes it harder to sleep
because of its ingredients, which keep users alert and awake. Users oftentimes forget to eat, and the drug dehydrates the body. In fact, Brian’s brother spent some time in the hospital as a result of an Adderall overdose. After taking 120mg of Adderall recreationally at Palmer Fest in 2010, he mixed the pills with alcohol and became severely dehydrated. That should be a good enough excuse to quit, but for Brian, the idea of detox is a hard one to grasp. He claims he always has so much going on and there is never a good time to quit. Quitting may prove to be beneficial, in the long run, but short-term effects are painful and damaging. According to The New York Times, doctors have stated some of the negatives of the drug include, but are not limited to, stunted growth, high blood pressure, and in severe circumstances, psychotic breakdowns. “So overall, yeah, I do think Adderall is a good drug, but don’t religiously take it if you don’t need to. Don’t depend on it,” Brian says, hopeful that his words of wisdom will maybe save just one naive student who could be sucked into the prescription drug world. Julia agrees, saying Adderall abuse is a problem and something unique to the college scene. About two weeks after being interviewed, Brian received a text message from Clark. “No more drugs, no more selling. Brian … we are better than the shit we do ... this shit is ruining us man. Maybe not now, but it will.” Two weeks and only one relapse later, those students are changing their ways after seeing the potential dangers of one tiny orange pill. *Names have been changed to protect identity.
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