Juicing your GPA: Some students turn to Adderall for academic boost

They say it makes you move twice as quickly. No need to waste time sleeping - you can read twice as much and remember twice as well, they say. You're practically indestructible.

But an increasing number of students without any medical need for Adderall are now making the drug their new best - or worst - friend for long jaunts of studying or partying.

Also known as "addy," it is becoming one of the most abused substances on college campuses today. The percentage of college students abusing prescription stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall nearly doubled to 2.9 percent between 1993 and 2005, according to a report released last week by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse where 240,000 college students nationwide were surveyed.

"It is a minidose of speed," said Stern freshman Allen, who, like other students interviewed for this story, was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, the generic name for Adderall, is intended for prescription for patients with attention deficit disorder, attention hyperactivity deficit disorder and narcolepsy. It is a central nervous system stimulant that causes many users to feel a more intense level of concentration, according to the U.S. National Library and the National Institute of Health.

Sold at about $3 to $5 per pill, Adderall is both inexpensive and accessible.

"If you know the right people, it's easy to find," CAS freshman Kaitlyn said.

And if students won't sell it, doctors will. Students are "faking" sick, CAS freshman Mary said, and it is common knowledge among college students on how to pass for someone with ADD.

"It's overdiagnosed - I know people who went to the doctor's office with the purpose to get it and come out with a prescription," she said.

Though she is aware of the risk of overdosing, GSP freshman Kristen insists that Adderall, when used responsibly, is a helpful drug.

"I don't take it as a party drug - it's pointless," she said. "It's so I can concentrate. I get into study mode because I know it's going to help me. It makes you want to focus on something. ... It's not like a trance, though, because you can break the concentration."

And at a place like NYU, where academics can become competitive, the stimulant abuse is more prevalent, according to an April 2006 study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The study also revealed a higher percentage of use among white students than among black or Asian students.

For patients with ADD or ADHD, the drug can be beneficial. Dr. Corydon C. Clark wrote on www.addresources.org that Adderall's "accurate dosing," "smooth onset" and "long acting" makes it more helpful than other drugs to patients who need it.

But for people without a prescription, the benefits of Adderall are questionable. In addition to the common side effects of dry mouth, headache, loss of appetite, weight loss, trouble sleeping and erectile dysfunction, perhaps the most threatening side effect is addiction.

Students can develop a tolerance to Adderall and then spiral into overdosing. Physiologically, an Adderall user's body gets so used to the increased amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine that the "buzz" that came with a 10-milligram pill will only reappear with a 20-milligram pill. Because the addiction is gradual, the student may not notice that he or she is becoming dependent.

"It makes you euphoric or in control, which makes it addictive," Tisch sophomore George said. "My therapist explained to me: It fucks around with your receptors, and it gives you such a good high that it's harder to reach it naturally."

Some students say they only use the drug when studying for big tests. Kristen, who is in the process of testing for ADD, said the drug is nothing but helpful.

"You just become more focused," Kristen said. "I legitimately think I need to take the test because when I read on Adderall and when I read without it, it's significantly different."

But some students are hardly aiming to boost their test scores.

"I snort it sometimes when I'm going out for fun, because it hits you faster if you snort it," Mary said.

The result: Some students downplay Adderall as being less effective than it really is.

"I don't think it counts as a drug anymore," Kirsten said with a laugh. "It's like Tylenol."