‘Study Drug’ Stimulants
When faced with the pressures of a heavy workload, major tests and college admissions, the thought of a quick fix to focus on and tackle each task at hand appeals to some students. For some, that fix is in the form of a prescription pill, meant for someone diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Buying and selling ADHD stimulants is not an issue unique to Allen.

“Would we be naive if we said it’s not an issue at Allen High School?” Associate Principal Matt Russell said. “Yes, because that would be inaccurate. But I think we probably fall right in line with what goes on at other schools, other campuses.”

Russell said he believes there is a range of factors that can play into students feeling the need to buy stimulants when not prescribed.

“I think there’s the obvious feeling high or whatever but I think also you have those that feel like they need it to help them perform,” Russell said. “I think there’s a sect of society that feels like whatever gifts or abilities they have are not enough and they need something to help enhance them so I think that you have a multitude of reasons. They’re looking for an edge to get those few extra points to be able to get into whatever college, university, whatever they are looking for.”

In a world with many distractions, these “study drugs” are both appealing and easily available to students. School resource Officer Christa Weisinger said that in comparison to other drugs, ADHD stimulants might be easier to buy and sell due to the high number of student prescriptions.

“It might be a little more accessible for kids because a lot of kids are prescribed it,” Weisinger said. “Unfortunately, the parents don’t keep the bottle and give the kids ‘here’s your one pill for the day’ or whatever. They give the kid the bottle and say ‘here, you know what to do’. Then the kid has access to it and is able to sell it much more easily.”

Harmful Effects
Senior John*, who is prescribed the medication, describes the small price he charges when selling it to friends.

“I’ve sold it multiple times…for basically either a Braum’s ice cream or $5,” John said. “It’s kind of smart actually. You make a lot of money.”

But while the quick and easy money side of selling these stimulants may be a draw for students like John to sell their medication, the powerful chemical functions of these drugs can be harmful when people without the characteristics and symptoms of ADHD take it.

“Well, for a kid with ADHD, the stimulant- Ritalin or Adderall or whatever it is they take- calms them down and helps them to focus and work like they’re supposed to,” Weisinger said. “If you abuse it and don’t have ADHD, it keeps you awake. Maybe it helps you stay up late to study or just give you a little bit of a high. It has the opposite effect.”

Senior Ben* started taking Vyvanse last year after hearing other students talk about how beneficial it was for them.

“I had heard of other people using them for the SAT or ACT so then I asked my friend for some,” Ben said.

Ben said he had originally hoped it would help him focus better during the college entrance exams.

“The last time I did it, when I took the SAT, I was 100% focused on the test but I had no outside thought,” Ben said. “Whenever you’re on it, even for the rest of the day, whenever you think about one thing, you can’t really think about anything else until your first task is done.”

Unknown Dangers
In a recent survey conducted at Allen High School, 84.1 percent of students said they knew someone with ADHD. ADHD stimulants are designed to assist individuals diagnosed with the disorder overcome some of the common characteristics, ranging from being easily distracted to hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

However, some students who are prescribed ADHD stimulants face challenges of their own. Senior Kate* is currently prescribed short release Adderall and has been on a variety of different stimulants since age 12.

“I think some other people who take it all the time become dependent on it and so they don’t know how to have a work ethic outside of taking their medicine and they rely on it,” Kate said. “Which can be detrimental to their learning and to their productivity.”

After taking a break from her medication sophomore year, Kate said she noticed major changes in her life.

“I really found a different side of myself when I don’t take them long term,” Kate said. “I am a lot happier, because it doesn’t make me so anxious and so jumpy.”

While Kate has been able to identify and manage the emotional side effects of her medication, students experimenting with these stimulants may not realize the potential severity of the chemical imbalances they can cause.

“It’s extremely dangerous,” School Nurse Benny Bolin said. “And potentially deadly.”

The Drug Enforcement Association classifies prescription amphetamines and methylphenidates as Class 2 controlled substances. This puts these stimulants in the same category as cocaine and morphine.

“You have a very big chance for abuse,” Bolin said. “It’s a very easily obtained drug and it is habit forming.”

Russell has seen firsthand the severe effects of students that buy ADHD stimulants without prescriptions.

“I can tell you that I had a student who was purchasing medication, was self-medicating. But it was just a cover, just a mask for a bigger problem that the kid had going on,” Russell said. “And I will tell you that that student was arrested and the subsequent expulsion saved his life. Because it allowed him to get the treatment he needed to address his problems and [he] is now successful.”

Stimulants are powerful drugs that have the potential to have serious consequences when abused.

“People just have to be careful because it can make you someone who you are not,” Kate said. “I’m definitely a lot more positive [off the medication].”

 

*The names of the students interviewed for this story have been changed to protect their identities.