A dangerous new drug trend has developed on college campuses all over the United States but not in the typical way people might think.
Dubbed the "study drug" by students, Adderall, an amphetamine and stimulant, is a popular prescription drug used to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy that is quickly becoming the new college drug of choice.
"College students abuse this drug in order to drink more and stay up later," said sophomore Nick Sierra.
When he lived in the dorms, Sierra knew students who used Adderall to stay up late studying for class or writing papers, he said. The drug was even more popular during finals when some students resort to all-night, last-minute cramming.
Sierra has been using Adderall with a prescription for years but realizes how dangerous it can be for students without a legitimate need for it, he said.
"I use it for school," he said. "I can never use it for anything else because it jacks up my heart rate too much."
Shauna Quinn, program manager at the Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center, has noticed that in the last three years Adderall abuse has increased at Chico State, she said.
"It's a stimulant, and kids use it to party more," she said.
At parties, Adderall is supposed to keep people sober despite drinking and will keep them up until the early hours of the morning, Quinn said. In regards to academics, students abuse the drug by waiting until the last minute to study for exams and then rely on it to help them stay awake.
"Because people have been prescribed it for such a long time, it's not a big deal to them," she said.
But Quinn warns students that even though Adderrall can be legal, it is still a drug and can have some negative and harmful side effects, she said.
Adderall can cause addiction, agitation, dry mouth, weight loss, impotence, fatigue and depression in those who don't have it, Quinn said.
Aside from the noticeable side effects of the pill, continuous Adderall use can lead to other drugs, such as methamphetamines and cocaine, Quinn said.
One of the biggest concerns regarding Adderall is how easy it is for college students to obtain, said Roland Lamarine, a professor in the health and community services department.
"The kids who come to college with prescriptions give it to their friends," Lamarine said. "It's often not diagnosed properly."
Lamarine thinks that when prescribed properly, the drug can be very helpful for some people but doesn't believe that as many people who are receiving treatment for ADD actually have the illness, he said.
In 1997, 10 tons of Ritalin were produced, and 90 percent was distributed in the United States, he said. If people look at other countries' medical problems, none of them have such a high number of children and students with ADD as the U.S.
For those who do abuse Adderall and want to stop, there are resources in the community that can help, Quinn said. They include the counseling center, CADEC and weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
But often times kicking the habit is simpler than that.
"Study all semester, eat a good diet and have a healthy lifestyle," Quinn said. "Then you don't need drugs to get through the semester."
Everett Meyers can be reached at emeyers@theorion.com
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