Community Reflects on Usage of Study Drug: Adderall

As prescribed and unprescribed use of “study drugs” like Adderall have increased on campus and nationwide, its use at the Academy has come into question, revealing a disparity between the faculty and student consciousness of its prevalence at Exeter. This story follows a piece published by The Exonian three years ago investigating study drug use at Exeter. Since then, its prevalence has not subsided.The Exonian interviewed eight curent students off-the-record and four additional students on conditions of anonymity for this investigative story. Names of those quoted in this article have been changes and starred to protect identities.

“The biggest issue is the decision of students to stay up very late at night to study.”

Because illegal drug use is so difficult to track, different constituency groups have widely varying opinions on how commonly Exonians abuse drugs like Adderall. Both Chair of the Health Department Carol Cahalane and Dr. Benjamin Gardner, Associate Medical Director of the Academy said that the illegal use of stimulants by students is rare. When describing the group of students who use Adderall without a prescription, Gardner emphasized that this group is “very small.” Cahalane stated that while she has interacted with students who have abused study drugs, she too believes that their misuse is a relatively uncommon occurrence. “I think it’s a very small number of people using it with any regularity,” she said.Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove said that while he is aware that some students may be using stimulants illicitly, he is not aware of any such cases personally. “I have not dealt with any situations where I have investigated Adderall abuse,” he said.Students, on the other hand, appear to believe that illegal use of stimulants is more widespread. “Quite a few people use [stimulants] both legally and illegally,” Greg*, a senior who uses non-prescribed Adderall, said. Kate*, who also takes Adderall without a prescription, expressed that the use of study drugs illegally is not rare. “I don’t know if it’s common, but it definitely isn’t out of the ordinary… nobody thinks twice when I mention I’m looking [for Adderall] or [that I have] just used [Adderall],” she said.While some students are legally prescibed Adderall for varying medical conditions, some students use non-prescribed Adderall and other study drugs to improve their academic performance. Despite the legal and medical consequences of misusing the drug, their perceived benefits have led some students to take them without a prescription.Study drugs are stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves responsible for hyperactivity and impulse control. They increase the rate of certain bodily functions, allowing users to feel awake and focused. Negative side effects of such drugs include anxiety, insomnia and loss of appetite.Adderall specifically contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, both of which are central nervous system stimulants. It is used to treat symptoms of ADHD, narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness, severe depression and post-concussive brain trauma.In the United States, Adderall is a schedule II controlled substance. This means that it can only be dispensed with a written prescription from a medical practitioner. Possessing controlled substances such as Adderall without a prescription is a felony in New Hampshire, as is the distribution of controlled substances without a license.The subject is also addressed in the E-book, where the third major rule, found on page 16, addresses illicit use of controlled substances on campus and states that “the faculty may at any time dismiss a student from the Academy for… the purchase, possession, use or distribution of ... Any prescription drug in a manner not consistent with the instructions of the prescribing physician.” A violation of this rule necessitates that administration file a report with the Exeter Police because it would be a violation of the NH Safe School Zone Laws.According to Medical Director Myra Citrin, between 30 and 40 Exeter students each year are legally prescribed stimulants by the health center to treat diagnosed medical conditions. Students with prescriptions pick up their medications at the Health Center on a weekly basis. The number of Exeter students who are prescribed stimulants have grown slowly over the last decade, following trends at similar schools, both public and private. Nationwide, about 5 percent of students are prescribed study drugs.However, there is a subset of students who illicitly obtain the study drugs, most commonly in the form of Adderall. Most said they use these drugs to help stay on top of the heavy workload required of Exeter students. Michael*, an upper, who uses Adderall illegally, explains how the drug allows him to work more efficiently. “Taking Adderall the night before large projects enables me to lock in and work more efficiently than had I not,” he said.Kate* agreed, lauding the efficacy of the drug in her study habits. “I use Adderall because it focuses me and takes my mind off of things that distract me from doing my work.”Greg* specified that the drug heightens his ability to comprehend and retain information. “I tend to remember most of the things I read, hear or do during my time after ingesting Adderall, so I also use it to understand convoluted information better and remember [it] more easily,” he said.Gardner believed that students abuse Adderall to help them stay up late. “The biggest issue is the decision of students to stay up very late at night to study… and feeling they need something besides a Coca-Cola to stay alert and awake,” he said.Cahalane has observed that in addition to using Adderall to aid in studies, students use the drug for fun. “[Some students] are using it [in a] more recreational way, crushing it up, snorting it, where you get a much more intense effect of the stimulant drug,” she said.Some students obtain the drug online and outside of campus. “I used to get them through online pharmacies based outside the U.S.,” Greg* said. Now, however, he usually gets them around town. Users of non-prescribed study drugs most commonly obtain them however from other students who have their own prescriptions. “I know for a fact that people will be hitting me up and asking for me to sell to them,” said Jeff*, a senior who is prescribed Adderall for his ADHD.Jeff said its use on campus is almost nonchalant. He went on to illustrate the gravity of the situation, describing giving the drug to his friends as “an act of non sibi,” and added that “there have been times when I didn't need it and when it was going to help my friend more than me.”