Tabitha Lee Sang

Mr. Munoz
Eng. DC, Per. 5
9 December 2014
The Study Steroids
There is a major test tomorrow that determines whether you pass or go on academic
probation. You are exhausted from lack of sleep, and you have not even viewed the contents of
this pivotal test. Your roommate offers to give you a brain steroid that will allow you to stay
up all night and improve your focus (Getting an Edge). Out of desperation, you take the pill
and pass the test, unlike your peers who did not get an added boost from a prescription
amphetamine. Physicians and colleges need to be more vigilant about prescribing amphetamines
and monitoring the diversion of prescription amphetamines for ethical reasons as well as major
health risks.
Stimulants are drugs that increase the alertness of the user causing increased attention,
heightened energy and elevated blood pressure (What Are Stimulants?). Amphetamines are
stimulants that doctors usually prescribe to people suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, or ADHD (What Are Stimulants?). The most common type of prescription
amphetamines are Ritalin, Adderall, and Dextroamphetamine (What Are Stimulants?). In
2011, the College Life Study found that 4.1% to 10.8% of college students used prescription
stimulants for nonmedical reasons (Center). Students who are using prescription stimulants for
nonmedical reasons either obtain these drugs by buying them off the Internet, feigning symptoms
to get a prescription, or sharing with the 5.3% of college students that have a prescription for
ADHD medications (Getting an Edge, Steroids for School, Center). 61.7% of students

diagnosed with ADHD and treated with prescription stimulants reported diverting their
prescription stimulants (Center). Diversion is illicit sharing, selling, and trading of prescription
medications (Center). A new study done by the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) found that
18% of students at one Ivy League school admitted to misusing a prescribed stimulant to finish
an assignment or study for a test (Study).
At the Ivy League school, a survey of 616 sophomores, juniors, and seniors not
diagnosed with ADHD found that students took stimulants to write essays (69%), study for tests
(66%), and focus for exams (27%) (Study). Students use these drugs to increase attention span
and wakefulness so that they can study better and longer in order to improve their grades.
Students use of amphetamines to help study is commonplace. On the website reddit.com, user
jmorrismd posted an article called [Guide] How to properly use stimulants as study aids
(Center). He gave detailed information on the benefits of taking these drugs for academic and
recreational purposes (Center). On April 3, 2014, jmorrismd posted this article and, since then,
91% of the people that read this article upvoted it (Center). In an interview with NBC News
Amy Robach, aired on TODAY, an A student from one of the nations most prestigious
schools admitted to using the drug Adderall (Steroids for School). She reasoned that if
everyone else is doing it, why shouldnt I get the advantage? (Steroids for School). Another
student, under the pseudonym Mike, explained that Adderall has given him the boost to work
non-stop for 10 hours a day (Steroids for School). When asked how his parents would feel
about his use of prescription stimulants to get this study boost, he responded Its like a dont
ask, dont tell kind of thingThey dont wanna know. Theyre paying for that report card
(Steroids for School). Mike compared amphetamines to steroids, observing that [b]aseball

players take steroids to be the best and students take Adderall to be the best. Its steroids for
school (Steroids for School).
Using stimulants to improve academically is as unethical as athletes using steroids to
improve physically. Using prescription amphetamines to improve ones grades is cheating
because it is unfair to the student who took the effort and time out of the day to study without the
use of prescription amphetamines. The PASs survey found that roughly 40% of students
believed that using drugs to improve academically is unethical, 33% believed that it was
admissible, and 25% did not have an opinion (Study). Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of
developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Childrens Medical Center of New York,
points out that while colleges focus on correcting alcohol and illegal drug abuse, they fail to
rectify misuse of prescription amphetamines (Study). Dr. Adesman stresses that [b]ecause
many students are misusing prescription stimulants for academic, not recreational purposes,
colleges must develop specific programs to address this issue (Study). Colleges need to be
more vigilant and stern when dealing with the diversion of prescribed amphetamines as evident
in a TODAY hidden camera investigation at a prestigious college (Steroids for School). A
TODAY intern visited the college library and within 30 seconds found a student that offered to
sell her Adderall (Steroids for School).
During the same TODAY hidden camera investigation, when the intern told the student
that she did not have enough cash to pay for the drug, the student suggested feigning symptoms
to get a legitimate- and legal- prescription (Steroids for School). In order to be diagnosed
with ADHD, one must meet the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association along with having six or
more symptoms of ADHD, which include forgetfulness, procrastination, disorganization, and

impatience (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults). Adults investigated

for ADHD may also be asked to fill out a questionnaire along with evaluating ones performance
at work, school, or in relationships (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in
Adults). Testing for ADHD is not extensive enough because symptoms for ADHD are easy to
replicate. Mikes account verified the ease of obtaining a prescription for amphetamines
(Steroids for School). He recalled that [He] went to a doctor and told them [he] couldnt
focus And by the end, [he] walked out with a prescription. It was incredibly easy (Steroids
for School).
The easy access to and abuse of prescription amphetamines comes with serious health
risks. According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
"emergency room visits for non-medical use of stimulant among 18 to 34-year-olds tripled
between 2005 and 2011 (Study). Aly, a freshman honor student struggling with school work,
took Adderall, and within weeks she became addicted (Steroids for School). She said that not
only did she become addicted to this Adderall but also dependent on it, "because you'll use it one
night to study for a test like [she] did and the next thing you know, you're using it every night to
study for a test" (Steroids for School). She suffered from mood swings, insomnia, panic
attacks, and depression (Steroids for School). Other side effects one might experience using
prescription amphetamines include: sleep problems, agitation, abdominal pain, anorexia, and
irritability (Getting an Edge). Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, added that prescription amphetamines may also hinder creativity (Steroids for School).
After taking Adderall, she went from "being on an academic scholarship" to "being on academic
probation within six months" and finally "being asked to withdraw...All because of Adderall"
(Steroids for School).

While physicians should be more attentive when monitoring college students use of
prescription amphetamines, they should not completely ban these drugs from them. Doctors
prescribe amphetamines to treat ADHD, an impulsive behavior" (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) in Adults). ADHD is the most common psychiatric disorder affecting 4% to
10% of young people in the United States, and about half of these young people with ADHD
continue to have it into adulthood (Getting an Edge). All adults with ADHD also had this
condition when they were children (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in
Adults). However, this condition is sometimes not apparent at a young age because young
people are able to compensate until they reach the demands of college (Getting an Edge).
Adults with ADHD find it difficult to focus and to perform everyday tasks (Attentiondeficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults).
Using prescribed amphetamines in order to improve academically can physically harm
the individual. The use of prescribed amphetamines for academic purposes is not fair to the
student who manages his or her time and effort to achieve what another student achieved simply
by taking the prescribed amphetamines one night. Students who take prescribed amphetamines
for non-medical purposes risk becoming addicted and/or dependent on these drugs along with
subjecting themselves to mild to severe side effects. While physicians should not stop
prescribing these drugs to college students with ADHD, physicians should work on making more
accurate tests for ADHD. Colleges also need to dissuade students from diverting and misusing
prescribed amphetamines.

Works Cited
"Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults." Mayoclinic.org. Attentiondeficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatments and Drugs. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec.
2014.
Center on Young Adult Health and Development | University of Maryland School of Public
Health. Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants What college administrators,
parents, and students need to know. Medicineabuseproject.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec.
2014.
"Getting an Edge - Use of Stimulants and Antidepressants in College NEJM." New England

Journal of Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.

"[Guide] How to Properly Use Stimulants as Study Aids /r/Drugs." Reddit. N.p., n.d. Web. 12
Dec. 2014.
"Steroids for School: College Students Get Hooked on smart Drugs." TODAY.com. N.p., n.d.
Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
"Study: Some Ivy League Students Don't Consider Stimulant Drugs Use Cheating." Boston.com.
The New York Times, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
What Are Stimulants? Stimulants.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.