With the stress of her zoology final behind her and the remains of Adderall still pumping through her blood, Andrea confidently took the plastic cup and headed to the bathroom.

As long as Andrea passed her drug test, she could enjoy working at her new $14-an-hour job.

Andrea, an OU student who wanted to remain anonymous, said she did not realize the amphetamine in Adderall would appear in her drug test.

A week later, her supervisors inquired about the drug test. Andrea had received the Adderall from a friend but lied and said she had a prescription for the drug.

When she could not prove it, she lost her job.

Adderall is an amphetamine prescribed for the treatment of attention attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

College students increasingly find themselves turning to Adderall to help them cope with tough exams, major projects and the pressures of academic life. In doing so, these students often overlook the potential dangers that come with using the drug.

Adderall, a highly controlled substance, works to help people with ADD and ADHD stay focused and calm. When people without these disorders use it, Adderall works like a stimulant.

Students without these disorders often buy or are given Adderall to help them stay up and study.

The national growing trend is also blossoming locally.

Although the drug may seem harmless, its effects include minor problems like headaches and appetite loss, heart rate and blood pressure fluctuations that could result in a stroke or heart attack and the possibility of staggering legal consequences.

The January 2005 issue of the journal "Addiction" reported 7 percent of college students said they had used prescription stimulants for non-medical purposes over their lifetime and 4 percent had used stimulants in the past year. The study, led by a University of Michigan researcher and based on data from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, included data from 119 four-year colleges and universities.

What adderall does

Dr. Bruce Remy, Norman physician, said Adderall is classified as a Schedule II drug, making it one of the most highly-controlled drugs available to the public by prescription. Without a prescription, the use of Adderall is illegal.

"That puts it in the same pharmaceutical class as Oxycodone and morphine," Remy said.

Remy said Adderall works on neurotransmitters in the brains of individuals with ADHD.

Carol Terry, a licensed psychologist and lecturer in the OU department of psychology, said strong empirical evidence exists showing Adderall as an effective medication for treating ADHD.

Adderall affects behavioral inhibition, meaning Adderall helps alleviate hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Additionally, Adderall helps people with ADHD focus on what they need to focus on, Terry said.

Remy said the effects differ in individuals who do not have ADHD.

"For people that do not have ADHD, the only effect they get from Adderall is that of a stimulant, like that of taking an amphetamine or caffeine," Remy said.

The stimulant effect contrasts with the calming effect Adderall has on individuals with ADHD, Remy said. Individuals using Adderall in a non-prescription setting get a speed high.

How the trend is growing

Aaron Fleck, communications senior, said he thinks Adderall use is definitely rising at OU.

"I'd say that nearly half of the people I know at OU take Adderall to help them study, or at least they have before," Fleck said. "Most of them do not have a prescription for it."

In an informal survey of 50 OU students on April 12 at Oklahoma Memorial Union, about 66 percent of the students polled said they knew someone who had used Adderall as a study aid.

Less than 10 percent of the students polled said they had ever used Adderall to study. However, about 30 percent said they think illicit Adderall usage is a problem at OU.

In fact, two OU groups on Thefacebook.com are based on Adderall and students who use it to focus when studying.

Jeff Frank, pharmacist at FamilyMeds Pharmacy in Norman, said he has noticed a shift in the ages of patients getting their Adderall prescriptions filled.

"I have seen a lot of older kids using it, as opposed to elementary kids," Frank said.

Despite local use, Jennifer Newell, a community relations officer at the Norman Police Department, said she has never caught and charged anyone with illegal possession or distribution of Adderall.

Fleck said individuals with ADHD and a prescription for Adderall often give pills away to their close friends or sell the pills at a cheap price.

Jessica Atchison, University College freshman, said she has an Adderall prescription for her ADHD. She began taking Adderall in the fourth grade.

Atchison said students will pay different amounts, depending on how desperately they want the pills. She said she doesn't sell her medication because she needs it to study.

Terry said for students like Atchison, taking Adderall to study makes a big difference in their attentiveness and focus.

"A big factor in it for students without ADHD is sleep deprivation," Terry said.

Fleck said he has used Adderall on occasion to help him stay up late and study.

"Taking it just helps me focus on what I have to do hoo at that time," he said.

Why not?

Students who take Adderall without a prescription often do so with a casual disregard of the consequences.

"I think anytime the doctor hasn't prescribed the drug directly, you just can't be sure what is going to happen," Newell said.

The dangers include loss of appetite, nervousness, headaches, high blood pressure and death.

Remy said loss of appetite is an expected side effect because the chemistry of Adderall relates to that of diet pills. However, Remy said Adderall could cause more serious consequences than diet pills are likely to cause.

"The biggest danger is death," Remy said. "It can raise blood pressure, which can result in a stroke or heart attack."

Health Canada, the country's federal department responsible for health concerns, announced its suspension of market authorization for Adderall XR, the extended release formula, in a Feb. 9 press release.

Safety information involving sudden deaths, heart-related deaths and strokes in individuals taking recommended doses of Adderall and Adderall XR spurred the suspension.

An FDA press release said on Feb. 9 that the FDA thinks the data does not warrant any immediate changes, however, the FDA will continue to assess the data.

The consequences for taking the Schedule II drug include more than bodily harm.

Newell said anyone caught with Adderall without a prescription could face a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. Those caught risk receiving charges of up to $1,000 in fines and up to one year in jail.

Terry said the dangers of Adderall seem like a "double whammy."

"They're committing a felony, and who knows how much they are taking?" Terry said.

Terry said the benefits of taking the drug do not outweigh the consequences.

Becoming aware

Since the incident, Andrea said she has not taken Adderall. However, she does have one pill left.

She said she may use the final pill at some point.

Andrea said that regardless of the outcome of her experience, she doesn't regret using the drug.

"Whatever it does, I got good grades, and it helped me remember," she said.

Sean Esteban McCabe, the lead author of the study in "Addiction," said in the University of Michigan press release that the researchers encourage universities to assess their own community's non-medical use of prescription stimulants.

"Given the proven therapeutic efficacy of prescription stimulants for the treatment of ADHD, there is a need to balance the medical necessity of these drugs and the risk for non-medical use and abuse," McCabe said.

Remy said students must make themselves aware of the dangers of Adderall and not dismiss its power.

"The drug has a very potent effect," Remy said. "It is a potent stimulant. It's like the caffeine from hell."
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