More students using 'academic steroids' despite risks, ethical

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 21, 2009 | by Kevin Leahy

When she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a sophomore at UC Berkeley, Ashley welcomed her prescription for the amphetamine Adderall. Juggling a full load of classes with athletic pursuits and a busy social life, she seemed an ideal candidate for a drug that could help her focus on her schoolwork.

"I liked the drug," Ashley, who did not want her full name published, said in an interview last week. "Initially, it wasn't a huge deal, though -- I just took it as prescribed. But during finals, that was the first time I started really taking it a lot."

Over the course of a year, Ashley said, she started abusing the drug and selling it to friends.

A 2006 Northeastern University study found misuse of so-called "Academic Steroids" is most prevalent at private colleges on the East Coast. But interviews with dozens of students and administrators show a culture of Adderall abuse is taking root in the Bay Area and the state.

The rise in Adderall use comes as young people are increasingly consuming prescription drugs to get high and as organized sports grapple with performance-enhancing substances. Students in the highly competitive academic world are turning to these stimulants to give them an edge as they vie for jobs and spots in graduate schools.

"The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among U.S. college students is now at its highest level in 15 years," said professor Sean Esteban McCabe of the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center.

Experts warn taking such drugs without a prescription can put users at risk of addiction and other side effects. Misusing prescription stimulants to help stay awake and alert also raises profound questions about fairness and academic integrity, according to many students and administrators who say it amounts to cheating.

More college students use prescription stimulants illegally than as treatment for legitimate medical conditions, according to a 2003 study led by McCabe.

A 2006 Northeastern University survey of 4,500 college students found Adderall was the most popular drug among the 6 percent who had illegally used a prescription stimulant in the past year.

Adderall's manufacturer, Shire PLC, says patients ultimately are responsible for using the drug properly and it warns against using the drug without a prescription.

Most students contacted at UC Berkeley, Stanford, San Francisco State, Sonoma State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara said Adderall is usually obtained from friends for free or at cheap prices. But some say they have seen people sell the drug to strangers.

Those who illegally used or distributed the drug requested that their last names not be used.

Julian, a senior at UC Berkeley who has a prescription for Adderall, said he tells few people that he takes the drug but still gets phone calls from students weeks before exams. "They say 'Give me as much as you can,'"‰" Julian said. "After awhile, you realize some people are only calling for that reason."

Julian said he gives the drug away for free, although the going rate can be as much as $15 per pill.

For decades, college students have used "uppers" such as No Doz caffeine pills, Dexedrine and Benzedrine to help them stay awake and alert. But students say Adderall helps them concentrate for longer periods of time.

"It's the stuff that energy drinks try to be," said Alex, a Stanford graduate who now works for a consulting firm. "The sheer amount of day-to-day work is almost insurmountable and it seems like you don't have time to live your life or even clean your room. Adderall allows me to do those things."

But experts warn that Adderall can have severe side effects, including dizziness, insomnia and the potential for addiction.

Ashley, the UC Berkeley student, experienced these effects when she began hoarding the pills and taking them in larger doses, sometimes cramming through sleepless nights.

When she ran out, Ashley would return to her psychiatrist determined to get a more powerful dosage. "I would say whatever I needed to get a higher prescription," she said. "It was so easy to get what I needed."

Ashley even used Adderall to get high before going to parties. "I started to take it all day, every day. I lost a lot of weight and I was very unhealthy because I wasn't eating or sleeping," she said, adding that she drank alcohol and took other depressant drugs to help her sleep. "I was anemic. "... I was very depressed."

During this time, Ashley said, she began to sell the pills to some of the "dozens" of people she knew who casually used the drug. "I would try to get people to start it so that they would like it and want more," she said. "I would give them a couple pills in the beginning, and then when they liked it, which always happens, they would want more."

Adderall is listed as a Schedule II controlled substance by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it is illegal for anyone without a prescription to possess or use the drug.

Prescription stimulants are considered especially dangerous when used by people with pre-existing medical conditions or when consumed recreationally. When taken with alcohol, researchers say, stimulants can be deadly.