Prescription drug abuse is everywhere, including on college campuses across the country. The abuse of drugs like Adderall, Concerta and Vivance, commonly used to treat attention deficit disorders, has exploded among college students. These stimulant drugs are attractive to students who believe they need an extra boost when studying for a test or writing a term paper. They are among the most abused class of prescription drugs.
"I take it to study for tests mostly," said a student at Tufts University in Boston. "It mellows me out and makes me not notice distractions. I just sit down and focus. It takes away my personality."
Many students take the drugs to relieve stress from heavy course loads. Because many of their friends already have prescriptions for these drugs, access to a supply is simple.
Stimulants are prescribed to people with attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities to help release dopamine in the brain. Sufferers of ADD produce insufficient quantities of dopamine in their brains.
"Stimulants are diagnosed for attention deficit disorder to increase the amount of dopamine the brain produces," said Dr. Nandini Talwar, a staff psychiatrist at Tufts University. "The theory is that someone with ADD isn’t producing enough dopamine in certain parts in their brain, and the medication makes up for this, especially in the frontal lobe of the brain, where tasks of concentration, learning, focus and organization are centered."
These drugs can have dangerous side effects when abused. With long-term use, the drugs can cause dependency and cerebral atrophy.
"It’s like taking a version of cocaine. These are very highly abusable medicines," Talwar said. "They increase heart rate, blood pressure and can lead to cardiac issues. It is also an appetite suppressant and can cause people to not eat."
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