Adderall Abuse: Drug Addiction Not Limited to Prescription Drugs

Adderall® is the brand name of a medicine commonly prescribed for students who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While many report increased alertness, concentration, and overall cognitive performance, many don’t realize that Adderall® is a mixture of amphetamine salts. As in amphetamines.

“Unfortunately, prescription drugs can be abused, and Adderall® is no exception,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia. “College students will admit to faking symptoms to get Adderall®, as well as buying or borrowing Adderall® from friends. It is very easy. What is not easy is stopping Adderall abuse once one is addicted.”

Full-time college students who used the prescription stimulant Adderall® non-medically* in the past year were more likely than those who had not used Adderall® non-medically to have also used other drugs, according to an analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

College students who used Adderall® non-medically were nearly three times more likely to have used marijuana in the past year, five to six times more likely to have used prescription pain relievers*, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants, and eight times more likely to have used cocaine or prescription tranquilizers*(see figure below). These findings are consistent with prior research on the non-medical use of stimulants and poly-drug use among college students.

“In many cases kamikaze pilots in World War II used amphetamines to stay awake, and amphetamine use was experimented on Nazi soldiers,” comments Ms. Rieser. “Some college student cramming for a test may think that since Adderall is a prescription medication, it is safe. It is not safe once you are drug addicted. And studies show that students using Adderall are many times more likely to use other drugs as well.”

*Refers to nonmedical use, which is defined as the use of prescription-type drugs not prescribed for the respondent by a physician or used only for the experience or feeling they caused.

**Source: Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an alcohol or other drug problem, contact Narconon today for immediate assistance.  Visit www.drugsno.com or call 1-877-413-3073.

Copyright © 2009. Narconon of Georgia Inc. Call 1-877-413-3073. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.