Adderall as a study drug cheats everyone

By Chris Cavagnero

Using performance-enhancing drugs in a competitive environment is cheating. In sports this principle is universally accepted, as evidenced by public condemnation of steroid use by baseball stars like Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro. But if professional athletes are considered cheaters for using illicit performance enhancing drugs, shouldn't students who engage in the same behavior be considered cheaters as well?

In recent years, the use of study drugs such as Adderall has skyrocketed on university campuses across the nation. Adderall has become part of the culture of our generation, and it appears that most students either use Adderall or tacitly accept its existence. But the use of Adderall and other prescription drugs to get an edge in any academic endeavor, be it an exam, essay, or standardized test, is cheating.

Adderall is used as a study drug because it increases focus, concentration, alertness and wakefulness. It is prescribed to patients diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because it corrects a chemical imbalance in the brain. But Adderall is only available to those with a prescription for a reason: It is a highly addictive, amphetamine-based drug with a plethora of dangerous side effects. Amphetamines such as Adderall increase heart rate and blood pressure, can cause abnormal heart rhythms and can significantly exacerbate existing cardiac conditions. Long term use can cause imbalances in the brain which can result in chronic paranoia and hostility.

While the physical dangers of using Adderall only hurt the user, illicit use has a negative affect on the entire academic community.

The situation with study drugs is analogous to steroids in baseball. Baseball is highly competitive, and an individual's success is determined in large part by how well opponents perform. Steroid users are cheaters because they use an illicit substance to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.

With steroid use increasing, clean players have found themselves at a disadvantage. They feel more and more pressure to sacrifice their health to keep up in a league riddled with cheaters.

Similarly, as Adderall use remains popular among college students, clean students are feeling more and more pressure to use Adderall to keep up.

With graduate school admissions becoming increasingly competitive, students are turning more towards alternative study aids. On tests such as the LSAT, which is judged on a strict bell curve, students who use Adderall to study not only have an unfair advantage over others, but they are increasing the standards to get into graduate schools. This forces other students to sacrifice their health to succeed, perpetuating the problem.

There is no simple solution to the Adderall problem. I hope the day never comes when schools have to institute mandatory drug tests before exams. The best way to end this problem is for students to change their attitudes toward illicit Adderall use. It is time for responsible students to stop tacitly accepting Adderall use. Once attitudes change and study drugs are universally condemned as a form of cheating, illicit Adderall use will substantially decrease.

Adderall is a great medication for treating ADHD, but using Adderall to enhance academic performance is simply cheating.

Chris Cavagnero is a senior political science major.