ADD pill popularity could rise

As doctors increasingly prescribe attention-deficit drugs like Adderall and Ritalin and some students admit to using the drugs to cram for tests and write term papers, some scientists claim it’s only a matter of time before the use of performance enhancing drugs for the mind becomes commonplace in classrooms and offices.
Experts like Martha J. Farah, director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford Law School professor Henry Greeley recently argued in the scientific journal Nature that the use of prescription amphetamines, which have been proven to increase focus, should be considered as a reasonable step in cognitive enhancement, not just as a cure for diseases like Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Professor of pharmaceutical science Richard Deth said use of mind-enhancing drugs raises philosophical questions about what the limits for what people can do to their brains.
“Many people, if not everyone, will perform better, but you’re really impinging on the larger issue of what a society should declare as the borders of enhancing performance as opposed to what would be considered natural abilities or natural learning,” Deth said.
Deth said that because the drugs are helpful in the short term does not mean they are harmless.
“It’s a problem in ways that are so subtle that people involved don’t appreciate them, because we don’t always appreciate ourselves,” Deth said.
According to the Food and Drug Administration website, the effects of Adderall withdrawal after extended periods of high dosage result in extreme fatigue and mental depression. A one-time acute overdose can include tremor, restlessness, panic states, hallucinations, rapid respiration and confusion, the site states.
Although Deth said a one-time dose of an amphetamine like Adderall or Ritalin would be unlikely to produce any lasting negative effects on the body or brain, he said the experience itself could change the way a person thinks about drug abuse.
“You’ve knowingly linked taking a drug under illicit circumstances to gaining an experience which, if you liked it, may encourage you to do that again,” Deth said. “That itself is a problem.”
Middler business major Eric Smith said he hasn’t used Adderall, but doesn’t see a problem with people taking the drug when they want to catch up on homework.
“I think if it helps you it’s OK,” he said. “Some people just aren’t good at studying or paying attention, even if they don’t have ADD.”
Deth said the effects of long-term use are the adaptive responses that occur in the dopamine receptors of the brain. When the mind is used to getting an increased amount of synaptic activity in the dopamine receptors, it “down regulates” other activities to counteract the higher levels. When the body starts releasing normal levels of dopamine, the brain isn’t getting what it’s adjusted itself to, which can make it even more difficult to focus.
“Are you more attentive? Are you able to respond to sensory information? Are you able to utilize parts of your brain interacting more effectively together in a way that allows learning?” Deth said. “Yes, so what happens when that goes away? You’re on your own, and maybe you’re not quite as smart, not quite as well connected anymore.”
Freshman undecided major Carole Pompei said she has tried taking Adderall before and most of the freshmen she knows have used it and know how to get it.
“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” she said. “I think it’s obviously bad to overuse it, but when you have a huge essay to write I think it’s ok.”
Pompei said students who have prescriptions will usually sell pills to other students in their residence halls for about $5 a pill. Deth said the secondary market for drugs of abuse is something drug companies are aware of and take into account when pricing their products.
Smith added that just because college students who don’t have prescriptions take it to study does not mean he would advocate the drugs being sold over the counter.
“I think people would abuse it if it was sold over the counter because it’s kind of like cocaine in a sense,” Smith said. “It’s a lot bigger at home, and a lot of people don’t do it to study. They just do it to get high.”

5 comments

Alison Dreta Drew

Fri Dec 11 2009 09:16

It is not the fault of those who take Adderall recreationally, but rather the doctors who overprescribe it. Some doctors will give patients exactly what they want to keep them coming back, and that is the difference between a good doctor and a great doctor. A great doctor will draw the line with or without the patient's consent.

College is a venue that will test a combination of your natural aptitude, and your ability to study and learn. If you are slow at taking tests, then you may be lacking in natural aptitude and have to study harder than others. That is not grounds for being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder so that you can allow yourself extra time on your tests.

Everyone has a little bit of ADD. We all grew up with TV's and video games, and the constantly changing colors cause overstimulation in your brain during it's formative years. It's completely normal to have difficulty concentrating.

People are brainwashed into thinking that it is not normal, and they need their "medicine" to get passing grades in school. It doesn't make it fair, as adderall was never common in the classroom until ten years ago. Was life so unfair for past couple of centuries, because those who could have been great did not have extra time and adderall at their convenience?

I by no means do not think ADD is not a real disorder. I do however think America is overdiagnosed. If you had the focus and drive to make it to college, then you should not all of a sudden be dependant on Adderall, Riddalin or Conserta, as your brain has already completed major development stages. Children with severe ADD or ADHD are so hindered that they barely have the ability to function in society. It is a sad site to see, and I wish people would not abuse the name so that the disorder these people actually have is downplayed.

The bottomline, is if the drug is available, who is to stop you from taking it? The problem is that is should be less available, and that is in the hands of the doctors.

Coach Carter

Wed Sep 16 2009 09:57

To the may 27th

maybe if you were willing to do whatever it takes to make your 50k investment worthwhile you'd reconsider your investment

you and the people who take adderall recreationally both need good grades...the difference is they need it more.

Your name

Wed Jun 3 2009 10:57

"some scientists claim it’s only a matter of time before the use of performance enhancing drugs for the mind becomes commonplace in classrooms and offices."

Um.. it isn't?

Rolyat

Mon Jun 1 2009 12:27

I think your arguement is extremely childish and naive. Unfortuantly, this is a dog eat dog world. So while you are struggling to do anything, not accepting that people will do whatever it takes to succeed, while sitting on your high horse and judging people trying to suceed. You are probably the same person who thinks Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Pedro Martine, Manny, David Ortiz, and Sammy Sosa's (ALONG WITH 90% OF BASEBALL!!!) numbers should be removed from the hall of fame.

You and your high horse can get out, and enjoy being in the 50 percentile of life.

-TWE out

Your name

Wed May 27 2009 23:28

I definitely think it is a huge problem. We all have stressful times but that doesn't give you permission to take Adderall if you're not prescribed it. I hate that people I know, who under normal circumstances get C's and B's, take it and get A's and B's easily while I still have to work to get those same grades. I also disagree with people that say it's my own decision if I choose not to take them because 1. I don't have access to those pills even if I wanted to and 2. taking the pills is like cheating, and that can never be a good thing. It truly is an unfair and chemically induced advantage.
I also wish this article had taken quotes from people who do take issue with this situation.

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