If you are a parent, pay attention. There is a very good chance your child will eventually use prescription ADHD medications like Adderall when they don’t have an ADHD diagnoses. In the past decade, Adderall has become increasingly popular for overworked and overscheduled high school and college students.
What Parents Need to Know About Adderall Abuse
Why On Earth Would My Kid Take Adderall?
They think it gives them superpowers. Kids believe that it will improve their athletic and academic performance. There is also a lack of knowledge surrounding the drug, it’s easy to get, and there are no social stigmas. In fact, in a 2008 study of 1,800 college students, 81% of students interviewed thought the illicit use of Adderall was “not dangerous at all” or just “slightly dangerous.”
It’s also easy to get from kids who do need the prescription drug to manage their ADHD symptoms. Kids are passing Adderall around like candy.
In one study of about 1,800 college students, 34% reported the illegal use of ADHD stimulants, such as Adderall. Most illegal users reported using ADHD stimulants primarily in periods of high academic stress and found them to reduce fatigue while increasing reading comprehension, interest, cognition, and memory. Furthermore, most had little information about the drug and found procurement to be both easy and stigma free.
