NEWS ANALYSIS
Pulling an all nighter in college seems to be a rite of passage.
Things happen, we run errands, work a shift, grab drinks with friends, and then before you know it, it’s 10 p.m. on a Sunday night and you have class at 7 a.m. the next day. This is where the pressure many students feel kicks in, they’re desperate to finish that essay or their whole grade can tank – and sometimes they turn to unprescribed drugs.
Adderall has a documented history of misuse, stories are now arising in 2022 that link student deaths to fentanyl-laced pills.
“I just learned from a colleague and it was confirmed by every student I asked, that 25 percent of students age 16-32 take Adderall1-7 X/week (not prescribed). And 5-10 percent do the same w/Modafinil or Armodafanil; 30-35 percent of students are on amphetamine. This is serious. Safer options exist,” wrote Andrew D. Huberman, American Neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2021.
Ohio State students had a huge scare this year with pressed pills masked as Adderall as two of their own students were hospitalized and one died due to the pills. Chantal Da Silva of NBC News writes there had been a “circulation of “fake Adderall” pills laced with Fentanyl.”
Adderall use is also being normalized by social media and the music we listen to today.
Pop Hunna introduces Adderall under the slang term “addy” in his hit song “Adderall (Corvette Corvette)” writing “I’m off a addy, I’m up, no time to relax.”
The rap artist talks about taking the drug and correlates it to him staying awake. This song blew up by being used on the social media platform TikTok and became a huge dance trend. But pop culture darling doesn’t equate to safety.
When consuming such a drug, many will only focus on the outcome they want to get from said drug; then other signs are potentially ignored when they are signs of drug abuse.
“A person abusing stimulants may experience insomnia, loss of appetite, excessive weight loss, skin sores or scratches, mood swings, aggressiveness, increased energy, and many more,” said Dr. Christina Roque.
Being in college comes with pressures that pull students in many different directions but there are alternatives to illegal drug use.
Many people who try to gain Adderall assume it is safe since it is an FDA approved drug, many don’t realize the problems taken without speaking to their doctor.
“When it is prescribed it is done so at a safe dosage and under monitoring with the prescriber. Without a prescription leads to uncontrolled use which can lead to abuse and potential addiction,” said Roque.