Adderall and Addiction

With any drug, addiction is always a danger. And long-term effects of amphetamine isn’t known for children and teens, so Adderall’s extensive use has been questioned because of this issue. Some studies have shown that the efficacy of Adderall may plateau after a year of use.

For adults using Adderall, the increased amount of dopamine and norepinephrine is highly seductive because it induces euphoria and the feeling that one is awake and focused on life and work tasks. This is when college students enter the picture.

College Students and Study Aids

Students going to school full-time are two times more likely to use Adderall recreationally when compared to the part-time student. Of those with legal prescriptions of the ADHD drug, 14 percent were offered money or favors for their pills by other students. These drugs are used to stay awake and focused.

A finding by the University of Puget Sound found that in times of low stress, few students took amphetamines, presumably only those with prescriptions. But at exam time, amphetamine use increased eight times, with an estimated 25 percent of students using Adderall or another amphetamine. Only 2 percent of undergrads who used Adderall thought of it as a drug. The rest considered it an innocuous “study tool.”

There is also a disturbing pattern regarding students -- Adderall and drinking. Those college students who abused Adderall were more likely to be binge drinkers. In fact, 90 percent of college students who used Adderall without a prescription were described as binge drinkers, and half considered themselves heavy drinkers.