Adderall Abuse in College

         

          “For every one hour spent in the classroom working, you should spend three hours outside the classroom studying.” This was a statement that I was told during my freshman orientation prior to entering college. This eye opening statement sent me into an instant state of anxiety; would I be able to do this? Should I just drop out right now? College towns breed stress and anxiety by pressuring students to achieve the grades that dictate your college career, and ultimately your adult life thereafter.
          An average class schedule consists of five classes (15 credits) a semester. This averages out to 3 hours of class per day, 5 days a week. If we, as students, are expected to study three hours outside of the class room for every 1 hour in the class room, that comes out to 12 hours of school work a day. That doesn’t leave much time for much else, does it?
          The constant pressures of students to overachieve have led them to seek out an edge—a shortcut. College students have become the leading abusers of ADHD medications such as Adderall, which comes as no surprise. Medications such as Adderall are prescription-only drugs; if you take it without the prescription you are breaking the law. Studies have shown that nearly 25% –one-fourth of the population—of all college students have admitted to taking Adderall illegally. These alarming numbers pose the issue, how should universities handle this issue?
          As stated in Stefanie Stolz’s article, “Adderall Abuse: Regulating the Academic Steriod,” she believes that it is the universities obligation to level the playing field of academia by regulation of illegal drugs. Drug screenings, although tedious in application, may offer a sound way to prevent the inclination to consume these drugs. Adderall is created to give people with ADHD the ability to compete fairly with ‘normal’ students, and should not be abused as an artificial academic stimulant.
          Breaching not only the academic integrity of the university, but also breaking the laws set fourth by government policies, the elimination of Adderall abuse is a serious topic, and should be dealt with accordingly by both universities and local governments alike.

Stolz, S. (2012). Adderall Abuse: Regulating the Academic Steriod. Journal of Law and Education, 41(3), 
     585-592.