Jun 2, 2009 11:58 pm US/Eastern
Use Of ADHD Drugs The New Rage On College Campuses
Students Say Products Like Adderall Give Them A Needed Edge; Doctors Say They Are Playing With Their Lives
Reports: As Many As 25 Percent Of U.S. Students Use
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
They're the new "in drugs" on college campuses: medication prescribed for what's commonly called ADHD -- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Students say the pills give them a big advantage, but medical experts say the risks are far too big to ignore.
Since he was 10 years old, Chris Chrysanthou has taken the drug Adderall for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
Now a student at NYU, he said it gives him the focus he needs.
"I was like off the charts with hyperactivity," Chrysanthou said. "I feel like I can't be stopped and I need to get it done and I get it done."
But Chrysanthou, working at a pool business this summer, said there's another effect of Adderall -- phone calls from desperate classmates.
"Sometimes it gets very annoying. I'll get a call at like 3 a.m., 'Dude, I have paper due at 10. Can I have some Adderall?'"
And it's not just Adderall. Ritalin and Concerta, all used to treat ADHD, are in demand. Students claim the drugs keep them awake and improve focus. Reports show their misuse on campus is widespread -- from 9 percent to as high 25 percent of students use the drugs.
Students, like one who did not want his face shown by CBS 2 HD cameras, got the drug from a friend.
"It was like all the other parts of my brain were dampened," "Thomas" said. "I wasn't focused on anything else, just the one thing I had to do."
But students experimenting with ADHD drugs could be asking for big trouble. Side effects range from dizziness and loss of appetite to death from heart attack or stroke. In 2005, one version of Adderall was banned in Canada after reports linked it to 20 sudden deaths.
Doctor John Mariani of Columbia University said it is especially dangerous for students to take the drugs without medical supervision.
"While they have great potential for people who need them, they also have great potential for harm for people who don't," Dr. Mariani said.
Craigslist is filled with students looking to buy Adderall and with campuses filled with students with prescriptions, it is readily available. Despite the risks, "Thomas" said he will take Adderall next semester, because he said it helped get him through.
"I don't know what I would've done without it," he said.
Experts say that students who misuse ADHD drugs may think it improves their performance, but there is no evidence to support that. They say the drugs will keep you awake and alert, but so will some strong coffee.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2009 Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments