Little Blue Pills

The Use Of "Study Drugs" Is On The Rise, But Cramming For Exams With Adderall May Be More Trouble Than It's Worth

By: Timothy Bleasdale

Posted: 12/10/07

As students across campus gear up for finals, many will be asking themselves one question: how can I manage to learn all this stuff in time for the exam? For some, the answer might simply be a series of trips to Starbucks. But a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University suggests that students are increasingly turning to controlled stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin to help them make it through exams.

Between 1993 and 2005 the proportion of students abusing these prescription drugs has risen 93 percent, according to CASA.

Adderall and Ritalin are amphetamines prescribed to treat people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the Adderall XR Web site, the drug works as a stimulant to the central nervous system by increasing the amount of two neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, in the body. These chemicals improve attention and dampen noise distraction while enhancing executive operations and increasing inhibition.

With these benefits it's easy to understand why some students choose to turn to Adderall and other stimulants to give them an edge while cramming for finals.

"The exam I was studying for wasn't in my major and the subject material was incredibly boring so I took [Adderall] to stay awake while I studied," said Roxanne, a 7th-semester political science major whose name has been changed to protect her identity. "It was an incredible help on the exam."

However, the benefits of these little pills, which Roxanne explains can be easily purchased from other students in the library, are not without cost.

"These drugs are stimulants and should only be taken under medical supervision," said Tom Szigethy, director of Alcohol and Other Drug Services. "They will increase the heart rate and tax the circulatory system. If a person has any issue with their circulatory system or heart, these medications can compound the issue potentially causing irreparable damage or death."

Additionally, the Adderall XR Web site warns that people with glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, allergies to amphetamines, or a history of psychosis, hallucinations, or drug abuse are at an elevated risk for adverse effects of these drugs.

But for some students like Roxanne, the better grade is worth the risks.

"I definitely did better on the exam [having taken Adderall while studying]," Roxanne said. "It's similar to caffeine in that it keeps you awake, but it also keeps you really focused on what you're doing. You don't get distracted at all."

For those working against drug and alcohol abuse like Szigethy, student enthusiasm for stimulant abuse is a cause for great concern.

"If a student is only concerned regarding the physical ramifications of taking a drug then that student already has a mindset that is concerning," Szigethy said. "Ideally, prescribed medications are to treat an ailing body - not to jump start or make up for lost study time during the semester. Students using stimulants as 'study aids' are in the same category as professional athletes using steroids to improve performance."

Szigethy adds that students who learn to squeeze by on exams with the aid of stimulants aren't learning the basic lessons of how to navigate deadlines and the real world demands of the work force.

"When a person has to meet deadlines in the workforce and has learned that [stimulants] may assist in the short term during the academic year, they may also make a determination that in the workforce they can repeat the same behavior," Szigethy said. "Students reading this may say that they would never do that, but if they have not learned to manage deadlines without these 'study aids,' how will they learn in the workforce?"

Instead of illegally taking Adderall or Ritalin, Szigethy suggests students pace themselves to get the rest they need.

"Exhaustion will not help focus, schedule in some breaks during your studying but stick to the timeline and return to the work, eat well, take care of yourself and get some exercise," Szigethy said. "It will clear your head and help keep you focused when hitting the books."

For those that choose to use stimulants to keep their focus, Roxanne has some words of caution. As the drug wears off, she says, there can be mild to severe withdrawal symptoms.

"I felt like I had no need to eat," Roxanne said. "I felt really nauseous. I mean, I had stayed up the whole night before, I felt a little out of it and hazy. But nothing too serious."

Contact Timothy Bleasdale at
Timothy.Bleasdale@UConn.edu.