Prescription-Strength Focus

On a Thursday night in September, a Stephens senior met a perky sorority girl from MU. The night before a big test to enter graduate school, they weren't getting together to relax with a bottle of wine and episodes of ‘Sex and the City.' Instead, one exited her residence to meet the other at her car to exchange $10 for two pills of

Adderall, packaged neatly in a Ziploc bag.

On college campuses across the country, students use Adderall, a drug that is prescribed to adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to help them concentrate while studying and taking tests. The drug can be harmful, however when used inappropriately.

"I take Adderall because it helps me stay focused in class and on tasks that I am working on," the MU student said.

Before she was prescribed Adderall, she said she had a hard time focusing while her professors lectured because her mind frequently wandered to other topics. But often times, other students use these drugs for purposes aside from their intended uses.

When it comes to binge drinking and abusing illegal drugs, parents warn college students time and again. But many parents often look the other way at the sight of students who misuse their prescription drugs. It is almost a don't ask, don't tell situation. Students feel that if their parents are seeing good grades when paying their child's tuition, it doesn't matter how they're getting them.

Students said Adderall is easy to get, bought and sold in the dorms, library and pretty much anywhere on campus. The going rate, students said, is $5 per pill, unless it is exam period. Then the use of Adderall peaks, and the price can fly up to $25 per pill.

"I took it for an important test that dictates my future career goals," the Stephens student said.

She said she feels completely normal after taking it, except she has a better ability to focus and concentrate on what needs to accomplish.

The Stephens student said, "School is so competitive today, that I'm competing against my peers for class ranking and acceptance into prestigious programs are using it, I figure why shouldn't I?"

Adderall is a controlled substance and the potential for becoming addicted is high, said Brenda McSherry, the director of Health Services.

"The potential for the drug to be damaging is there because the drug is meant to be used for ADHD," McSherry said.

Students said that the drug boosts cognitive function, enabling them to study for hours without fatigue.

"It is for a person who cannot focus on what they need to get done and to calm down. If you don't have ADHD, it will do just opposite. It will wake you up and you won't get tired," McSherry said.

McSherry said that abusing this drug becomes really hard to stop, and she doesn't know how to stop the harm is causes.

Because students take this drug illegally to help them earn better grades, questions arise about whether it qualifies as cheating.

Kate Gray, an assistant professor of graphic design, said she doesn't think using Adderall illegally should be considered cheating because the students still use their own mind and creativity.

Still, she said it is the role of the instructor to ensure students don't need to resort to abusing prescription drugs to complete their work satisfactorily.

"I try to be careful with what I put in the classroom because if they are overwhelmed, they are not going to learn anything," Gray said.

Gray, who believes her students shouldn't need supplements to get work done, does believe that students respect rigor.

"I don't want to sacrifice for the well-being of someone who did stay out all night," Gray said.

This proposes the question that if athletes take steroids to better their performance and that is considered cheating, why are students who take Adderall illegally to better their performance in school not considered to be cheating?

The college environment is competitive, and students feel the need to have a leg up on their peers, so the pressure to do better is there. McSherry says that the danger is that if students study all night with the assistance of Adderall and do well on the test, that reinforces what students can do on the drug.

"It can be a physiological burden on the student," McSherry said.

According to McSherry, for all purposes, Adderall is almost as addictive as meth and speed, there is just a different salt used in the ingredients. Many students still believe Adderall is safe because it comes from a physician, even if the medicine isn't prescribed to them. But the facts are that Adderall is an amphetamine and can be habit-forming.

According to an article published on CNN.com, taking drugs without a prescription or buying controlled substances is illegal, and students who use drugs can be prosecuted. Students are believed to be unaware of how harmful the drug can be to their bodies as well as their reputations

The drug comes with side effects. After using Adderall illegally, you will have a crash and burn feeling, which according to McSherry, can last for a day or two. Adderall can cause nervousness, headaches, sleeplessness, and a decreased appetite. The Stephens student experienced none of these side effects and plans on taking the pill again.