Study Finds That Adderall Abuse is on the Rise among Young People

The prescription drug Adderall poses a serious health risk to individuals who abuse it. For example, medical experts said that there has been an upward trend in the number of emergency room visits caused by Adderall misuse in recent years.
Adderall is commonly used to treat individuals who suffer from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the U.S., many young people are legally prescribed Adderall after being diagnosed with ADHD. However, there are also many adolescents who find ways to illegally obtain Adderall on the black market, either through friends or family members who have valid prescriptions.
Not only is Adderall use on the rise; so is Adderall abuse. According to the results of a study that was recently released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, more people than ever are abusing Adderall.
Over a six-year period examined by researchers, the number of doctor visits caused by non-medical use of Adderall went up by 67 percent, while emergency room visits caused by non-medical use of Adderall more than doubled. Adderall abuse is a particular problem among high school and college students who feel that they need the drug in order to stay awake while studying for exams.
The end result of the rise in Adderall abuse among young people is that emergency rooms are being flooded by prescription drug overdose victims. When a person who has not been legally prescribed a stimulant like Adderall accidentally overdoses on the drug, it can cause significant damage to their body. Adderall can lead to high blood pressure, headaches and heart problems. In the worst cases, taking too much Adderall can result in seizures and even death.
For further information about prescription drug abuse in the U.S., see the CBSNews.com article, “Adderall Misuse Rising among Young Adults.”
 
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