The topic I want to investigate is the illicit use of Adderall among college students in the United States. I will be focusing on the prevalence of Adderall on campuses, associations between Adderall usage and other drug use, motives for Adderall usage, and differences in Adderall use based on gender and ethnicity. I selected this topic because I have become increasingly aware of the usage of this drug by my peers. The drug is primarily used to gain an academic advantage over other students. As a neuroscience major, I have studied the effects of various drugs on the human body. I have studied the effects of stimulants similar to Adderall and am interested in looking into the effects of Adderall on the body and its abuse amongst college students. …show more content…
The results of my research will just identify the problem and make known the extent of Adderall and stimulant abuse. Future research will be needed in three distinct directions in order to elicit a change in policies. The directions for future research are: (1) the effectiveness of stimulants on individuals without ADHD; (2) the long-term health effects of stimulant abuse in non-ADHD users; and (3) mechanisms to easily test for Adderall use in students. Research in the first field will determine if Adderall abusers are truly gaining an academic advantage over their non-abusing peers. If it is found that they are gaining an academic advantage, universities will be forced to make a change in order to preserve equality. Research in the second field will determine the dangers of Adderall abuse. If Adderall is found to be extremely damaging to the brain or body, then health organizations will place pressure on universities to act in a way to slow the illicit use of Adderall by college students. The last field of research will provide the universities with tools to determine the students who are abusing Adderall. As of now, universities have no way to enforce policies against the illicit use of Adderall or other stimulants because they have no effective way to determine if a person is using Adderall. Right now the only way for a university to …show more content…
My research will begin using Google to uncover background information on the history of Adderall and the growth of Adderall as a substance of abuse. After developing a solid understanding of Adderall’s usage history, I will switch my focus to finding peer reviewed scientific articles that mention aspects of how prevalent the illicit use of Adderall is amongst college students. To find these articles, I will access the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, WorldCat, and Google Scholar. The search terms that will yield the most results will most likely be a combination of these keywords: “Adderall,” “amphetamine,” “dextroamphetamine,” “nootropic,” “smart drug,” “stimulant,” “memory enhancer,” “college,” “university,” and “student.” After gathering all necessary information, I will be able to formulate a literature review that examines the current state of Adderall abuse amongst college
Methods: The study conformed to the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Australian Catholic University ethics committee. Twenty-six adults aged 22 to 52 years were chosen for the opiate-user group and 30 adults aged 18 to 53 years with no history of drug use were chosen for the control group. There was no difference in gender, but the participants in the opiate-user group were long-term users and were all enrolled in an opiate substitution program. Participants were recruited to the opiate-user group with fliers in pharmacies and drug rehabilitation centers, and the control group using social networks. All participants gave informed consent and were given AU$20 (USD$20).
Adderall is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to focus and other behaviors. Adderall is often prescribed to those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, and other brain disorders. Although the prescribed use of Adderall has helped those suffering attention deficit disorders, the recent rise in nonmedical use of Adderall has led to unfair academic advantages along with an increased pressure to use stimulants among students. Adderall is easily accessible on university campuses due to the lenient health care clinicians and the fact that one can find a person with a prescription willing to sell their pills or even give them away which has created a black market for the drug on campuses. College students are able to bypass psychiatrists and more stringent testing by going to the campus health clinic for an ADHD misdiagnosis (Stolz 2).
Stimulants like these are used by students because of the effects it has on the user. Adderall makes the user stay awake and feel alert and focused, this makes it the perfect drug for a college student looking to stay up all night to study. College students are the ones most commonly taking Adderall without a prescription because its effects can help students stay awake to cram for tests, Amy Laskowski in “The other side of Adderall” claims: “A fall 2007 American College Health Association study found that over 90 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all that they had to do” (1). It is not a surprise when it comes to college students using these illegal prescription drugs to boost abilities and to study harder and longer.
Methamphetamine is a drug that is dangerous and highly addictive. In Australia, Meth is growing significantly which is creating more problems financially,socially and mentally. Stats are showing increased figures in accidental deaths due to methamphetamine. An increase in crime and domestic violence has also been detected among ice users. The affect of Methamphetamine on the brain is extremely dangerous and can effect the well-being on a person catastrophically.
There has been controversial theories developed to define whether “Gateway” theory is the single hypothesis to explain drug phenomena and solution for increased drug issues. “Gateway” theory depicts pattern of drug use which has a sequence started from legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco to partially legalized Marijuana which eventually proceeds to illegal polysubstance drugs like Methamphetamines, Heroin and cocaine (Kendal, 2002, P.1). At the same time, there are other factors to consider drug sequences and causation to proceed to hard core drugs. Some researchers argued that legalized drugs using in early teenagers and adulthood period changed to biology, sensitivity and approach towards the hard core illicit drugs in later life. Currently
Thus, vast efforts have been made to regulate the alleged drug problem through various avenues. For example, programs have been created to steer
Cocaine is currently one of the most abused stimulants in the United States of America. A recent study shows that, at least 15% of the Americans had used it at some point in their lives, 6% of whom used it while in high school senior year (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010). Young men between the
Although students may think that these requirements are making it hard to get treatment, it is hampering the abuse of Adderall. Duke University addressed the misuse of Adderall as declaring it as academic dishonesty, essentially cheating. Instead of trying to get a prescription or use Adderall illegally, students need to learn how to do things on their
Science research and techniques can play a critical role in breaking the culture of silence surrounding active addiction. Here are a few ways in which science research and techniques can contribute to this effort: • Understanding the biological and psychological mechanisms of addiction: Advances in neuroscience and psychology research have shed light on the biological and psychological mechanisms of addiction. This understanding can help reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and promote more informed and empathetic conversations about the condition. • Developing evidence-based treatments: Science research can help develop evidence-based treatments that are effective in treating addiction. This can include developing new medications, therapies, and behavioral interventions that can help individuals with addiction overcome their condition.
Ritalin and Adderall are prescribed for people who have ADHD and even healthy people use it to improve school and work performance. Critics of the drugs Ritalin and Adderall say that the drugs are addictive and dangerous. Supporters of the use of Ritalin and Adderall argue that the drugs can give someone an advantage in highly competitive fields. The conflict involves liberty and negative consequences. In terms of liberty,
Throughout the duration of my research I was able to grasp the impact that different chemicals and addictive substances implemented on neurological development. The research
Kensworth. Drug use and addiction cause a lot of diseases and disabilities in the world. Recent advances in neuroscience may help improve policies to reduce the harm that the use of drugs and other psychoactive drugs impose on society. Drugs can be harmful and beneficial in both ways as it can cure many diseases but can also create a world of hallucinations where human beings can dive into a world of fantasy and cause addictions that can cause a great risk on the long run, therefore, human beings must be cautious and avoid drug
“The Dangers of Cramming” is the article by Keith Ablow which discusses about the fact that cramming does more harm than good. The author further elaborates on both the effects of cramming and the side effects of stimulants abuse. First, cramming can cause short-term intellectual setbacks, albeit the states of setbacks vary greatly among many different people. The author also explains about how the excessive use of stimulants can worsen students’ conditions, as it can cause syndrome and overdose. The good news is that while the effects of substance abuse are dangerous, but unless a person mistreats his/her body with the use of stimulants, he/she should be able to recover in a relatively quick time.
Credibility statement/Tie to audience: We are in United States, where according to some, drugs are responsible for the biggest problem in our society. We have all seen someone suffer from drugs one time or again .leading me to have created a sense of affection to my topic because I researched it so thoroughly. Now I begin to understand drugs as a whole word, Along with the ill effects they come with. Preview: I will be reviewing the facts about drugs and the different effects they have on life. Whether that is physically, socially or mentally.
Drug abuse is caused by psychological, genetic as well as environmental factors and can have significant damaging effects on health. Psychological factors are associated with the development of drug abuse. Drug abuse often occurs