Adderall Abuse In College Students Essay
Emily Grant
Nicole Piasecki
Engl 2030-018
3 May 2012
Adderall Abuse in College Students
The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to people in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decade. The US is in the lead globally as far as the amount of people doctors diagnose with the disorder and prescribe stimulant medications to (Diller). One of the consequences of this increased diagnosis is a significant increase in the amount of abuse of the drug Adderall by college-aged students. Across the board, research predicts an estimated 30% of all college students without ADHD have taken the drug sometime in their college careers in order to enhance their ability to focus and concentrate on their studies (Feiten). Recreational mis-use and abuse of Adderall by college students can be detrimental to one’s health with the potential to …show more content…
affect the student both physically and psychologically.
Adderall and Ritalin are amongst the medications frequently prescribed to people of all ages by their doctors in order to decrease the symptoms of ADHD. Adderall, a Schedule II mandated drug by the DEA, is in the amphetamine class of drugs and is marked on this schedule because of the stimulant’s high potential for psychological and physical dependency and abuse. Schedule II mandated drugs are available legally only through prescription by a doctor, with limitations on dosages and the amount of refills allowed (DeSantis and Hane).
Why do we care about Adderall? America represents approximately 4% of the global population, yet in 2009, it produced 88% of the world’s legal amphetamine (Diller). The amount of stimulant drugs produced and prescribed in this country by far outweighs any other country in the world, and this comes with consequences for the people of our generation. Adderall is now frequently becoming more available to college students via their ADHD diagnosed and prescribed classmates, resulting in a dramatic increase in the amount of abuse of the drug throughout college campuses all over the nation.
In order to understand why people who do not have ADHD and still take the drug may seem so attractive, one must first understand how the disorder affects a person, and how Adderall helps. ADHD is a behavioral disorder that affects people of all ages, most notably children and teens. It is well understood by doctors and scientists that a person with ADHD has a defective frontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that is involved with executive functions such as reasoning, planning, focusing, and problem solving. A person who has this defect essentially lacks dopamine in this part of the brain, resulting in poor ability of the above mentioned skills. Children are often characterized as hyperactive, impulsive, and lack the ability to focus on a task, resulting in poor performance in school. College students often claim they are unable to focus clearly and efficiently when studying and doing homework (Jenkins). Adderall contains amphetamine salts, the active ingredient in most ADHD medications. The amphetamine salts block the reuptake of dopamine from neural synapses, which increases the dopamine flow into the frontal cortex, enabling the brain to perform executive functioning like a normal brain would (Jenkins).
So, with all that said, how is taking Adderall when you don’t have ADHD detrimental to one’s health? If a normal, functioning brain is not lacking dopamine in the pre-frontal cortex in the first place, yet is exposed to the stimulant Adderall, an overabundance of dopamine is going to be present in this region of the brain. This increase in dopamine is what many students experience and love. However, many are indifferent or poorly educated on the effect that the drug has on the brain in the short term, and the potential for them to get addicted to the drug could be detrimental to their health. Students get a “high” and report dramatic increases in their “sense of motivation, focus, and concentration” (Jenkins). Great, that sounds exactly what a pressed-for-time and stressed out college kid needs, right? Wrong.
Unfortunately, many college students do not understand the risks they are making when they are popping this pill to help them study for an exam or get through hours of reading.
In a study conducted by DeSantis et al., students were interviewed about their perception as a whole of the drug Adderall. They found that “an overwhelming majority of these statements took the form of arguments aimed at justifying illegal stimulant use” (DeSantis and Hane). One of the most common misconceptions of students in their study was that they are not abusing the drug if they are taking the drug in moderation. One student reported “If I only use it for midterm exams and finals, then it is not hurting me…As long as I don’t abuse it” (qtd. in DeSantis and Hane). The problem here is a complete misunderstanding of what it means to abuse a drug. Obtaining the drug without a prescription either from an acquaintance or online service, faking symptoms to get a prescription, using it to heighten the capacity to study rather than to control ADHD symptoms, and taking more than the recommended dosages all constitute as abuse
(Bailey).
Many students blow off the fact that they are abusing the drug because they are “using it for the right reasons” (DeSantis and Hane). This misconception illustrates the complete ignorance to the immediate health dangers and short and long-term side effects of the drug. When a child or teen is prescribed Adderall, they are under the complete observation of a qualified doctor. They are given a screening exam to determine if other cardiac abnormalities exist, (which could be extremely dangerous if this is the case) and are analyzed carefully based on observation and follow-up meetings to assess the recommended dosage that best suits the patient (Feiten). According to Bailey, Adderall “can be harmful for anyone who has an underlying medical condition such as high blood pressure, glaucoma, hardened arteries, an overactive thyroid, an anxiety disorder or a heart disease. It has resulted in the deaths of children and teenagers who had congenital heart disorders and other heart problems”. When a student carelessly purchases a pill and takes it hoping to cram in a 12 hour study session, they do not have any of the necessary pre-cautions available to them that they would have if they were prescribed the drug under a doctor’s supervision, and consequently their personal health could be at serious risk.
Another detrimental factor is that most who obtain the drug have no idea how much they are taking, or how much might be too much. They are simply jumping in and swallowing whatever they can get Dr Steven Pliszka states, “An obese adult diagnosed with ADHD should not take more than 50 to 60 mg of amphetamine a day” (qtd. in Mahan). For someone who does not know this, an overdose could be potentially easy to occur and result in severe side effects or even death. One student in DeSantis’s study said “I don’t really worry about that dosage too much; I just take what everyone else is taking. It’s always fine.” Again, this illustrates the extreme ignorance and complete lack of respect for the drug and the dangers of that come with abusing Adderall.
The risk of dependency on Adderall is extremely high, despite many students’ perceived notion that it is not. One student in DeSantis’s study even went so far as to claim “It is not addicting like a lot of those bad drugs. You just take it and that’s it” (qtd in DeSantis and Hane). This statement boggles my mind. Any sort of stimulant prescription drug in the amphetamine class has the potential to be addicting and has a great chance of dependency, according to a drug prevention expert (Fox news). Adderall is a gateway drug, one that could potentially lead people to start abusing cocaine or methamphetamine once the “high” obtained from Adderall is no longer sufficient for the stimulant seeking individual. This is because Adderall is a psychoactive drug, one that affects brain chemicals, and the brain has the ability to develop a tolerance to it over time. So, as higher and higher amounts of dopamine are released into the frontal cortex of the brain, more and more amounts of the medication is needed in order to achieve the same effect as it had before (Bailey). This is a commonly known phenomenon of the human body, and students who assume they can’t get addicted to the drug are simply ignoring this basic human function. One could argue that those students who couldn’t imagine not using the drug when preparing for finals are already dependant abusers. These students that need to use the drug every time they have a test to study for are at risk for dependency because every time they use it they need to take more to see the desirable effects.
Some of the students interviewed in DeSantis and Hane’s study asserted that because of the constant positive results they achieve from taking the drug, they must have ADHD themselves, a process the researchers describe as ‘self-medicating’. The students identified their inability to focus, day-dreaming, boredom, and poor comprehension and assumed that this was because they have ADHD, and so taking Adderall is justifiable and just needed to happen. It seems as if Adderall is a drug that enables super-human qualities, for those who have ADHD it makes them normal, and for those without, makes them above average. Self-medicating is a potentially dangerous process for students to engage in because of the seemingly universally “positive” effects that it yields. Just because you see positive results when you take the drug does not mean that you, indeed, have the disorder ADHD. This seems to be a common misconception amongst students who abuse the drug.
Students are willing to bypass in their minds all the potential side-effects, the fact that stimulants are addicting, and not to mention highly illegal if without a prescription, for the sole fact that they are prescribed by doctors, it is sold to the public, and the FDA approves it (DeSantis and Hane). So therefore I nthe students mind they must be safe to use. Another student in DeSantis’s study mentioned “It is made by pharmacists so you know what you are getting…it is safe because of how it’s made” (qtd in DeSantis and Hane). This is true, but for people who do NOT have ADHD, taking the stimulant is still highly unsafe, and still unjustifiable. It is produced with designer ingredients made for a person who has ADHD, and therefore, there is no reason for anyone who does not have ADHD to be using the drug illegally. The facts are all on the table; jumping in to the drug without prior medical assessment, dosage recommendations, and supervision is highly unsafe for anyone who does not have the disorder.
The morality issues that surround abusing the drug for increased achievement and performance are another reason why the drug is detrimental to one’s health. It is not healthy for our society to be so dependent on drugs for everyday basic activities and functions. For students who claim they cannot study correctly without the drug, or who don’t have enough time in their day to read and complete assignments, or who are too tired and need the drug to increase alertness and productivity, I pity all of them. I am sitting here, typing, and I have been for most of the better half of the day. I do not have ADHD, and I do not need Adderall to complete a basic college-level assignment. For students who simply must turn to abusing Adderall in order to perform basic executive functioning tasks, including school work, I advise they endure a reality check, pronto. Perhaps they need to improve and learn better study habits, turn down their music, shut their doors, turn their phones off, and find a comfortable spot to “get down to business”. College students need to “re-awaken” themselves, I believe, to the whole point of why they are in college trying to complete these tasks in the first place. Education. It is certainly a scary thought to think that 80% of college seniors have resorted to using Adderall at some point in their college lives to get good grades (Diller). Are humans becoming less and less capable of learning and acquiring honest educations and more dependent on drugs? I feel as though if students would focus more on their studies, less on partying and their social lives, and sleep more, the need to “cram” would not be so apparent. Time management skills and priorities need to be re-evaluated by most students who abuse the drug. Perhaps the recent shift to needing Adderall is just another facet of our ever-evolving society and cultural values, like the constant “need” for smart phone capabilities and internet connections that seem to be plaguing society today. Unfortunately, this now includes a dangerous and risky behavior, taking Adderall.
Evidence and research suggests increasing trends in Adderall abuse in college-level students. An overall increase in the amount of people, including children and adults, who are diagnosed and prescribed with ADHD has also been reported. The abuse of Adderall in today’s society has many detrimental implications, despite what many students might believe. The short term effects are almost not worth the effect that the drug gives you in the first place. Long term effects of prolonged use include psychological and physical dependence, and overdose. Self-medicating students are essentially being pulled in to the stigma that no matter what, the drug helps my problems, so therefore, I must have ADHD myself. Students who do not respect the drug as a medication for ADHD disorder and take the drug without any concerns are putting themselves at risk for overdose, increasing their chances for dependency, and putting themselves at risk for harmful cardiac side-effects that they would otherwise be screened for if under doctor supervision. For stimulant abuse to be counter-acted, I believe change should start at educating students so that all the misconceptions can be weeded out of the school systems. Students rely on each other for information about the drug, and stigmas can develop easily. The positive stigma attached with taking the drug in moderation and for the “right reasons only” should be wiped out. Prescribed stimulants are not any safer than uncontrolled substances on the street such as cocaine and meth. Students should be better educated more as to what ADHD is, how it affects the brain, and how Adderall affects the brain in a non-diagnosed person compared to a diagnosed person. Stricter drug laws and stricter requirements for obtaining diagnosis and prescriptions should be reviewed, as well as a crackdown of stimulant drugs on college campuses and among doctor-patient relationships. Something needs to be done to control this epidemic I believe, or else as Dr Smith says, “as the denominator of general misuse grows into the millions, that smaller numerator of abusers will become a significant social problem” (qtd. in Diller).
Works Cited
“Adderall abuse by college students on the rise”. Indiana’s Fox. Fox 59. WXIN, Indianapolis, 1 Mar. 2012. Indiana’s Fox. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Bailey, Wendy. “Academic Doping”. Adderall Abuse.net: The symptoms of Adderall Addiction. N.p. n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Desantis, Alan D., and Audrey Curtis Hane. " ' 'Adderall Is Definitely Not A Drug ' ': Justifications For The Illegal Use Of ADHD Stimulants." Substance Use & Misuse 45.1/2 (2010): 31-46. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.
Diller, Lawrence. “Does America Really have a Problem with Adderall Abuse?” The Huffington Post. US edition. N.p. 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Feiten, Dr. Dan. Telephone Interview. 13 Apr. 2012.
Jacobs, Andrew. “The Adderall Advantage”. New York Times. The New York Times. 31 Jul. 2005. Web. 7 Apr. 2012
Jardin, Bianca, Alison Looby, and Mitch Earleywine. "Characteristics Of College Students With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Who Misuse Their Medications." Journal Of American College Health 59.5 (2011): 373-377. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.
Jenkins, Kristin. “Adderall: College Students ' Best Friend-- Or Worst Enemy??” Serendip. Bryn Mawr College. 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Mahan, Gretchen. “‘Study drug’ Adderall creating a buzz in schools”. The Ranger. The Ranger Free Voice Forum of San Antonio College. 13 Jul. 2006. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Ricker, Dr Ronald, and Dr. Venus Nicolino. “Adderall: The Most Abused Prescription Drug in America”. The Huffington Post. US Edition. N.p. 21 June 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012
.
Nicole Piasecki
Engl 2030-018
3 May 2012
Adderall Abuse in College Students
The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to people in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decade. The US is in the lead globally as far as the amount of people doctors diagnose with the disorder and prescribe stimulant medications to (Diller). One of the consequences of this increased diagnosis is a significant increase in the amount of abuse of the drug Adderall by college-aged students. Across the board, research predicts an estimated 30% of all college students without ADHD have taken the drug sometime in their college careers in order to enhance their ability to focus and concentrate on their studies (Feiten). Recreational mis-use and abuse of Adderall by college students can be detrimental to one’s health with the potential to …show more content…
affect the student both physically and psychologically.
Adderall and Ritalin are amongst the medications frequently prescribed to people of all ages by their doctors in order to decrease the symptoms of ADHD. Adderall, a Schedule II mandated drug by the DEA, is in the amphetamine class of drugs and is marked on this schedule because of the stimulant’s high potential for psychological and physical dependency and abuse. Schedule II mandated drugs are available legally only through prescription by a doctor, with limitations on dosages and the amount of refills allowed (DeSantis and Hane).
Why do we care about Adderall? America represents approximately 4% of the global population, yet in 2009, it produced 88% of the world’s legal amphetamine (Diller). The amount of stimulant drugs produced and prescribed in this country by far outweighs any other country in the world, and this comes with consequences for the people of our generation. Adderall is now frequently becoming more available to college students via their ADHD diagnosed and prescribed classmates, resulting in a dramatic increase in the amount of abuse of the drug throughout college campuses all over the nation.
In order to understand why people who do not have ADHD and still take the drug may seem so attractive, one must first understand how the disorder affects a person, and how Adderall helps. ADHD is a behavioral disorder that affects people of all ages, most notably children and teens. It is well understood by doctors and scientists that a person with ADHD has a defective frontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that is involved with executive functions such as reasoning, planning, focusing, and problem solving. A person who has this defect essentially lacks dopamine in this part of the brain, resulting in poor ability of the above mentioned skills. Children are often characterized as hyperactive, impulsive, and lack the ability to focus on a task, resulting in poor performance in school. College students often claim they are unable to focus clearly and efficiently when studying and doing homework (Jenkins). Adderall contains amphetamine salts, the active ingredient in most ADHD medications. The amphetamine salts block the reuptake of dopamine from neural synapses, which increases the dopamine flow into the frontal cortex, enabling the brain to perform executive functioning like a normal brain would (Jenkins).
So, with all that said, how is taking Adderall when you don’t have ADHD detrimental to one’s health? If a normal, functioning brain is not lacking dopamine in the pre-frontal cortex in the first place, yet is exposed to the stimulant Adderall, an overabundance of dopamine is going to be present in this region of the brain. This increase in dopamine is what many students experience and love. However, many are indifferent or poorly educated on the effect that the drug has on the brain in the short term, and the potential for them to get addicted to the drug could be detrimental to their health. Students get a “high” and report dramatic increases in their “sense of motivation, focus, and concentration” (Jenkins). Great, that sounds exactly what a pressed-for-time and stressed out college kid needs, right? Wrong.
Unfortunately, many college students do not understand the risks they are making when they are popping this pill to help them study for an exam or get through hours of reading.
In a study conducted by DeSantis et al., students were interviewed about their perception as a whole of the drug Adderall. They found that “an overwhelming majority of these statements took the form of arguments aimed at justifying illegal stimulant use” (DeSantis and Hane). One of the most common misconceptions of students in their study was that they are not abusing the drug if they are taking the drug in moderation. One student reported “If I only use it for midterm exams and finals, then it is not hurting me…As long as I don’t abuse it” (qtd. in DeSantis and Hane). The problem here is a complete misunderstanding of what it means to abuse a drug. Obtaining the drug without a prescription either from an acquaintance or online service, faking symptoms to get a prescription, using it to heighten the capacity to study rather than to control ADHD symptoms, and taking more than the recommended dosages all constitute as abuse
(Bailey).
Many students blow off the fact that they are abusing the drug because they are “using it for the right reasons” (DeSantis and Hane). This misconception illustrates the complete ignorance to the immediate health dangers and short and long-term side effects of the drug. When a child or teen is prescribed Adderall, they are under the complete observation of a qualified doctor. They are given a screening exam to determine if other cardiac abnormalities exist, (which could be extremely dangerous if this is the case) and are analyzed carefully based on observation and follow-up meetings to assess the recommended dosage that best suits the patient (Feiten). According to Bailey, Adderall “can be harmful for anyone who has an underlying medical condition such as high blood pressure, glaucoma, hardened arteries, an overactive thyroid, an anxiety disorder or a heart disease. It has resulted in the deaths of children and teenagers who had congenital heart disorders and other heart problems”. When a student carelessly purchases a pill and takes it hoping to cram in a 12 hour study session, they do not have any of the necessary pre-cautions available to them that they would have if they were prescribed the drug under a doctor’s supervision, and consequently their personal health could be at serious risk.
Another detrimental factor is that most who obtain the drug have no idea how much they are taking, or how much might be too much. They are simply jumping in and swallowing whatever they can get Dr Steven Pliszka states, “An obese adult diagnosed with ADHD should not take more than 50 to 60 mg of amphetamine a day” (qtd. in Mahan). For someone who does not know this, an overdose could be potentially easy to occur and result in severe side effects or even death. One student in DeSantis’s study said “I don’t really worry about that dosage too much; I just take what everyone else is taking. It’s always fine.” Again, this illustrates the extreme ignorance and complete lack of respect for the drug and the dangers of that come with abusing Adderall.
The risk of dependency on Adderall is extremely high, despite many students’ perceived notion that it is not. One student in DeSantis’s study even went so far as to claim “It is not addicting like a lot of those bad drugs. You just take it and that’s it” (qtd in DeSantis and Hane). This statement boggles my mind. Any sort of stimulant prescription drug in the amphetamine class has the potential to be addicting and has a great chance of dependency, according to a drug prevention expert (Fox news). Adderall is a gateway drug, one that could potentially lead people to start abusing cocaine or methamphetamine once the “high” obtained from Adderall is no longer sufficient for the stimulant seeking individual. This is because Adderall is a psychoactive drug, one that affects brain chemicals, and the brain has the ability to develop a tolerance to it over time. So, as higher and higher amounts of dopamine are released into the frontal cortex of the brain, more and more amounts of the medication is needed in order to achieve the same effect as it had before (Bailey). This is a commonly known phenomenon of the human body, and students who assume they can’t get addicted to the drug are simply ignoring this basic human function. One could argue that those students who couldn’t imagine not using the drug when preparing for finals are already dependant abusers. These students that need to use the drug every time they have a test to study for are at risk for dependency because every time they use it they need to take more to see the desirable effects.
Some of the students interviewed in DeSantis and Hane’s study asserted that because of the constant positive results they achieve from taking the drug, they must have ADHD themselves, a process the researchers describe as ‘self-medicating’. The students identified their inability to focus, day-dreaming, boredom, and poor comprehension and assumed that this was because they have ADHD, and so taking Adderall is justifiable and just needed to happen. It seems as if Adderall is a drug that enables super-human qualities, for those who have ADHD it makes them normal, and for those without, makes them above average. Self-medicating is a potentially dangerous process for students to engage in because of the seemingly universally “positive” effects that it yields. Just because you see positive results when you take the drug does not mean that you, indeed, have the disorder ADHD. This seems to be a common misconception amongst students who abuse the drug.
Students are willing to bypass in their minds all the potential side-effects, the fact that stimulants are addicting, and not to mention highly illegal if without a prescription, for the sole fact that they are prescribed by doctors, it is sold to the public, and the FDA approves it (DeSantis and Hane). So therefore I nthe students mind they must be safe to use. Another student in DeSantis’s study mentioned “It is made by pharmacists so you know what you are getting…it is safe because of how it’s made” (qtd in DeSantis and Hane). This is true, but for people who do NOT have ADHD, taking the stimulant is still highly unsafe, and still unjustifiable. It is produced with designer ingredients made for a person who has ADHD, and therefore, there is no reason for anyone who does not have ADHD to be using the drug illegally. The facts are all on the table; jumping in to the drug without prior medical assessment, dosage recommendations, and supervision is highly unsafe for anyone who does not have the disorder.
The morality issues that surround abusing the drug for increased achievement and performance are another reason why the drug is detrimental to one’s health. It is not healthy for our society to be so dependent on drugs for everyday basic activities and functions. For students who claim they cannot study correctly without the drug, or who don’t have enough time in their day to read and complete assignments, or who are too tired and need the drug to increase alertness and productivity, I pity all of them. I am sitting here, typing, and I have been for most of the better half of the day. I do not have ADHD, and I do not need Adderall to complete a basic college-level assignment. For students who simply must turn to abusing Adderall in order to perform basic executive functioning tasks, including school work, I advise they endure a reality check, pronto. Perhaps they need to improve and learn better study habits, turn down their music, shut their doors, turn their phones off, and find a comfortable spot to “get down to business”. College students need to “re-awaken” themselves, I believe, to the whole point of why they are in college trying to complete these tasks in the first place. Education. It is certainly a scary thought to think that 80% of college seniors have resorted to using Adderall at some point in their college lives to get good grades (Diller). Are humans becoming less and less capable of learning and acquiring honest educations and more dependent on drugs? I feel as though if students would focus more on their studies, less on partying and their social lives, and sleep more, the need to “cram” would not be so apparent. Time management skills and priorities need to be re-evaluated by most students who abuse the drug. Perhaps the recent shift to needing Adderall is just another facet of our ever-evolving society and cultural values, like the constant “need” for smart phone capabilities and internet connections that seem to be plaguing society today. Unfortunately, this now includes a dangerous and risky behavior, taking Adderall.
Evidence and research suggests increasing trends in Adderall abuse in college-level students. An overall increase in the amount of people, including children and adults, who are diagnosed and prescribed with ADHD has also been reported. The abuse of Adderall in today’s society has many detrimental implications, despite what many students might believe. The short term effects are almost not worth the effect that the drug gives you in the first place. Long term effects of prolonged use include psychological and physical dependence, and overdose. Self-medicating students are essentially being pulled in to the stigma that no matter what, the drug helps my problems, so therefore, I must have ADHD myself. Students who do not respect the drug as a medication for ADHD disorder and take the drug without any concerns are putting themselves at risk for overdose, increasing their chances for dependency, and putting themselves at risk for harmful cardiac side-effects that they would otherwise be screened for if under doctor supervision. For stimulant abuse to be counter-acted, I believe change should start at educating students so that all the misconceptions can be weeded out of the school systems. Students rely on each other for information about the drug, and stigmas can develop easily. The positive stigma attached with taking the drug in moderation and for the “right reasons only” should be wiped out. Prescribed stimulants are not any safer than uncontrolled substances on the street such as cocaine and meth. Students should be better educated more as to what ADHD is, how it affects the brain, and how Adderall affects the brain in a non-diagnosed person compared to a diagnosed person. Stricter drug laws and stricter requirements for obtaining diagnosis and prescriptions should be reviewed, as well as a crackdown of stimulant drugs on college campuses and among doctor-patient relationships. Something needs to be done to control this epidemic I believe, or else as Dr Smith says, “as the denominator of general misuse grows into the millions, that smaller numerator of abusers will become a significant social problem” (qtd. in Diller).
Works Cited
“Adderall abuse by college students on the rise”. Indiana’s Fox. Fox 59. WXIN, Indianapolis, 1 Mar. 2012. Indiana’s Fox. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Bailey, Wendy. “Academic Doping”. Adderall Abuse.net: The symptoms of Adderall Addiction. N.p. n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Desantis, Alan D., and Audrey Curtis Hane. " ' 'Adderall Is Definitely Not A Drug ' ': Justifications For The Illegal Use Of ADHD Stimulants." Substance Use & Misuse 45.1/2 (2010): 31-46. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.
Diller, Lawrence. “Does America Really have a Problem with Adderall Abuse?” The Huffington Post. US edition. N.p. 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Feiten, Dr. Dan. Telephone Interview. 13 Apr. 2012.
Jacobs, Andrew. “The Adderall Advantage”. New York Times. The New York Times. 31 Jul. 2005. Web. 7 Apr. 2012
Jardin, Bianca, Alison Looby, and Mitch Earleywine. "Characteristics Of College Students With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Who Misuse Their Medications." Journal Of American College Health 59.5 (2011): 373-377. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.
Jenkins, Kristin. “Adderall: College Students ' Best Friend-- Or Worst Enemy??” Serendip. Bryn Mawr College. 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Mahan, Gretchen. “‘Study drug’ Adderall creating a buzz in schools”. The Ranger. The Ranger Free Voice Forum of San Antonio College. 13 Jul. 2006. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
Ricker, Dr Ronald, and Dr. Venus Nicolino. “Adderall: The Most Abused Prescription Drug in America”. The Huffington Post. US Edition. N.p. 21 June 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012
.