As finals week comes to a close, I can only hope that Adderall’s surge in popularity does as well. Adderall is a medication used to help those diagnosed with A.D.H.D., yet it’s still found its way into the hands of nearly every college student across America.

So, what does it do?

Adderall is amphetamine stimulant, which not only effects attention and behavior but also appetite. Amphetamines are infamous for their abilities in suppressing appetite whilst stimulating the release of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. These hormones help destroy procrastination and trigger intense focus.

How is it dangerous?

It’s “a Class 2 controlled substance like cocaine.” (Cohen) Therefore, while it can help those actually diagnosed with A.D.H.D., it can also lead to an onslaught of other symptoms to those who are just abusing it- the constant need for higher dosage, increased anxiety, painful come-downs and insomnia. The dependency factor is extremely high for substances like these; they trap you in toxic cycle.

The epidemic of this drug has spread across a vast amount of college campuses, so much so that Roger Cohen from the New York Times posits, “Adderall has become to college what steroids are to baseball: an illicit performance enhancer for a fiercely competitive environment.” (Cohen)

In other words, the abuse of Adderall is one of the reasons that academic competition has become so fierce. These students are creating impossible standards for themselves and others striving for their degree depending only on their natural abilities. The pressure to accomplish more and accomplish it better has forced many students toward the drug. “Adderall manipulates you into thinking you are doing what is needed to have a great life.” (Cohen) But if the drug is enhancing our ability to focus and work productively beyond our normal capabilities, how are we expected to live up to the new norm it’s developing without it? How are we expected to be productive outside of an academic environment as our dependence on the drug grows?

Is it ethical?

So why is it when athletes take performance-enhancing drugs, it’s considered unethical, but when students take Adderall when it’s not needed, it’s somehow justified?(Kritz) In sports, teams compete. Similarly, in school, students compete. Therefore, by abusing Adderall, these students are giving themselves an unfair advantage.

However, it’s argued that the use of the drug is ethical because taking Adderall is a choice. You can choose to take Adderall and enhance your mental focus if you so desire. Yet, the prescribed drug is just that- prescribed. It’s not as easy as buying a cup of coffee to stay up all night; that’s a fair advantage. Students abusing Adderall go out of their way to obtain it from their peers. It may be easily accessible but it’s not supposed to be accessible to those who aren’t prescribed to it.

In conclusion, abusing Adderall promises consequences beyond just physical. Not only will students who take the drug without a diagnosis experience heightened anxiety, sleeplessness and increased dependency, they will also develop a new and impossible standard within the realm of academic competition.