It was the first time she tried it, but her friends told her that the blue and white pill would help her study and make a good grade. But after taking just one dose--she became short of breath, her heart started to race and she passed out. She ended up in the hospital.
University of Memphis student Jasmine Sanders, a civil engineering major, had purchased the pill from a dealer after she had heard good things about Adderall as a study aid.
“I only took it because I heard from people in my class that it could help me concentrate,” Sanders said. “A guy told me, ‘It’s easy to be distracted, but with this pill, you’re completely the opposite.’ He also said it took him literally 30 minutes to take an exam that would usually take him the whole class period without the pill. So I had to try it.”
The reality is that Adderall doesn’t make you smarter or faster — it just keeps you awake. A study done by the University of Pennsylvania found that students who took the drug without a prescription only thought they were doing better on tests, and that they would have benefitted more from a good night’s sleep before the test. All the while, the drug can have terrible health repercussions.
The pill affected Sanders’ cardiovascular system, doctors told her, which is why her heart started beating uncontrollably. Had she taken more than the one pill, she might have died, Sanders said.
Students often buy the drug from people who’ve been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. For those with a medical need for Adderall, the drug does help them concentrate, but for those who do not have ADHD, the drug won’t help, at best, and could kill them, at worst.
“I think a majority of college students have used ‘Addy’ before,” said biology major
Blake Buchanan. “It’s not hard to get it — just find someone who takes it or someone with ADHD.”
Despite the warm and cuddly nickname “Addy,” buying it from another student is like buying meth, morphine or cocaine in the eyes of the law. Adderall is a Schedule II substance, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and using it without a prescription is illegal.
“Using any drug illegally is bad,” Linda Hall, dean of multicultural affairs, said. “A doctor can better assist your needs. Taking prescription drugs on your on could have adverse side effects.”
In some countries, Adderall is banned completely, because it is recognized as a drug with high potential for abuse.
“I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been around it,” said the graduate advisor for the Student Activities Council, Tiffany Seamen. “If they want to get a better grade on their exams, they should just study harder.”
Some students abuse Adderall in hopes of getting better grades, but studies show that talking the prescription drug does not increase test scores. Photo by Jonathan A Capriel
