College students abuse Adderall to help them study

Studying and drug abuse are not often two things one would automatically link together.

However, with final exams wrapping up this week, some University of Missouri students have confessed to ABC 17 News that drugs help them study.

The biggest ones are drugs like Adderall that are not even prescribed to them.

Several students admitted to ABC 17 News Adderall helps them focus, study, and stay awake.

The drug is a stimulant prescribed to those with attention deficit disorder andnarcolepsy.

“For people that have that problem it’s a fantastic drug,” said Dr. Eric Bettis with Broadway Urgent Care.

For those that are not prescribed Adderall, Dr. Bettis told ABC 17 News it has the opposite effect on the brain.

They may feel hyper, angry or irritable, anxious and in serious cases the drugs could cause a heart attack.

“If you have an underlying heart disease and you don’t know about it, it can actually put you into a fatal arrhythmia so it can be deadly to some people,” said Dr. Bettis.

Kennedy Craig has taken her Adderall each day since 9th grade since she was diagnosed with ADD in 9th grade.

” I feel like a lot of people use it to study and I have gotten a lot of offers about it actually and I just say no,” said Craig.

Offers from other students to buy some of her prescribed Adderall.

Students told ABC 17 News pills are usually sold for anywhere from two to ten dollars.

Some students told ABC 17 News they get their Adderall from those who do not need the prescription in the first place.

“There are a lot of people prescribed that don’t need it. There are loopholes through the system I think people go about it that way,” said one student.

They do this by exaggerating and making up ADD symptoms they do not have since it can be a challenge for doctors to test.