It’s 1:00 a.m., and you are nodding off over a presentation due tomorrow at work. But in a few hours, the meeting will begin. If offered, would you take a pill “guaranteed to keep you awake and focused for hours?” Why not? Lots of kids these days take Adderall, right?

Adderall and Ritalin, both amphetamine-based attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications, are popular mainly on college campuses with peak use times at midterms and finals. These are drugs once mostly prescribed for children and teenagers. Now prescriptions for adults diagnosed with ADHD have skyrocketed to 16 million scripts for adults 20 to 39 years of age in 2012. What is Adderall, and what does it do for those with ADHD? And for those who don’t have ADHD?

What exactly is Adderall?

Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant. Ritalin, a similar drug, was first marketed in 1957 as a cure for depression because it increased dopamine and serotonin production in the brain. Adderall was found useful in reducing symptoms of ADHD such as difficulty focusing, remaining quiet and controlling actions.

Adderall is a combination of two stimulants, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. This combination is also prescribed for narcolepsy. Though stimulants may seem contrary to the aim of treating ADHD, these drugs affect the way the brain treats chemicals that help transmit brain signals from one neuron to the next. These amphetamines block the reabsorption of dopamine, a brain messenger chemical, by some cells while enhancing uptake in other brain cells. Increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine seem to reduce attention deficit and hyperactivity. Sixty percent to 80 percent of prescribed users are children or teenagers.