At colleges across the country, students are lining up to illegally take a Schedule II Narcotic. This is the same classification assigned to oxycodone and morphine. They are using Adderall to try to gain an advantage in high school and college. Some students refer to the drug as taking “study buddies.”

Study Results

Adderall was prescribed more than 20 million times (often as generic amphetamine salts) for the treatment of ADHD in 2013. A quick Google search for “Adderall prescriptions US” found more than 4 million hits. Many of these promise a delivery of drugs with no prescription needed.

College students have compared the practice of taking Adderall to athletes taking steroids. The consequences of taking ADHD medication without a prescription can be devastating. Adderall is considered safe when prescribed by a doctor and taken as recommended, but it is a highly addictive amphetamine drug.

Students can become addicted very quickly, going from taking one pill to help stay up late and focus in order to study for a test, to buying several pills a day—sometimes within a matter of a couple of weeks. Some students are also faking the symptoms of ADHD in order to get legal prescriptions. Using the internet to research the disorder, they schedule appointments with doctors and report the symptoms they found.

Those taking Adderall may experience an ability to focus, but it can also stifle creativity, making it harder to compose essays or music. At higher doses, Adderall can cause heart problems, hallucinations, panic states, and even seizures.

Research in Action

Learn what Adderall looks like. If you find any non-prescribed pills in your child’s possession, call to get help. You can also check your child’s texts and social media to see if they reference using “study buddies”.