UNHEALTHY UPPER HAND
Negative effects of normalizing Adderall for school performance Tara Shear • Opinion Editor
Y
ou spend hundreds of dollars on a tutor for the SAT. You use practice books and regularly study for the upcoming standardized test, hoping to finally reach your target score after countless attempts. You rest well the night before, cram in a bit more while you eat breakfast and then you are off to the exam center. Two weeks of anxiously waiting pass and you receive your score: only 50 points shy of your goal! Your friend scores at least two hundred points above you, so naturally, you ask them how they studied. “I didn’t,” she says. “I just took some Adderall beforehand, and it made me hyperfocus.” Of course, if you relate to the student who studied, you would be upset. Not only is the use of Adderall illegal when not prescribed, but it also poses serious health risks among teens and young adults. However, the use of stimulants such as Adderall is becoming normalized, or used more commonly, in high school and college for the sake of improving grades and test scores. Adderall is a prescription medication used to treat
people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to Medical News Today. The drug increases the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain and reduces hyperactivity in individuals with ADHD, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Those who abuse this drug risk lifelong dependency on the stimulant since it is classified as a Schedule II federally-controlled drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To put that into perspective, the painkiller morphine is also a Schedule II drug. When people without ADHD use Adderall, they are able to concentrate intently on tasks, such as standardized tests and essays. Additionally, Adderall users will feel happy, lose their appetite and feel more energized. This is why the drug is popular not only in school but also in party settings, according to The New York Times. Using this drug improperly can lead to insomnia, high-blood pressure, stroke and increased risk of mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and depression. If these warnings are not enough, the FDA has
imposed a black box warning on Adderall, the strictest warning that expresses the serious side effects associated with taking the drug, according to WebMD.
“The fact that there are people cramming away at night [...] just for a number and yet could still be outperformed by a peer who decides to use performance enhancing drugs is completely unfair”
senior Vivian Tran
Not only is the use of this stimulant dangerous, it is also unfair to those who do not abuse the drug. Rather than studying, or simply accepting the consequences of not doing so, students who abuse Adderall take the easy way out. The use of performance enhancing drugs to score better in school is the same as an athlete, such as Lance
Armstrong, abusing stimulants to improve his athletic abilities. “The fact that there are people cramming away at night [...] just for a number and yet could still be outperformed by a peer who decides to use performance enhancing drugs is completely unfair,” senior Vivian Tran said. Next year at Bishop Kenny, random drug testing will begin. Since Adderall contains amphetamine, one of the drugs tested for in saliva and urine sampling, a drug test will yield positive if Adderall is present in the body. Those who are prescribed Adderall must file documentation with the school in order to avoid consequences and continue usage. All told, a five-page essay is not worth having a stroke. A 1400 on the SAT is not worth experiencing hallucinations. Teenagers and young adults may feel as though they have not suffered any consequences associated with drug use, but it could easily happen the next time they take that pill. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662HELP (4357) for guidance.
OPINIONS | ISSUE 3 27
