Amphetamine

An underground drug culture is developing at Iowa State and many other educational institutions across the nation. Students are recreationally using the deadly drug amphetamine at an alarming rate. The drug is widely available, reasonably inexpensive and gives users a satisfying high that can last up to 12 hours. Although this trend may seem startling, many medical professionals and students alike advocate the use of the drug.

Amphetamine is the generic medical term for the prescription stimulant Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD. When prescribed to an individual with ADHD, amphetamine can help students focus and perform like their peers.

“Pharmacologically, it’s a different medication. It’s a stimulant but used for students with a hyperactive disorder,” said Mandy Kappel, senior at Drake University about to become a doctor of pharmacy.

The users

When the drug falls into the hands of someone without ADHD, it is used recreationally as a study aid, an appetite suppressant, an upper – like cocaine – or during a night of heavy drinking in order to remain alert despite being intoxicated.

Perhaps the most alarming issue of amphetamine abuse on college campuses is its ready availability.

“I would say that after alcohol, prescription drugs are the most abused drugs on a college campus, more than even marijuana,” said Graham Jaksich, sophomore in history.

An April 2006 study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that nearly 6 percent of college students at competitive universities like Iowa State have used prescription stimulants in the past year. Sorority and fraternity members are the most prevalent abusers, with an 8.6 percent usage rate, compared to 3.5 percent in non-greek students.

ISU black market

Obviously, there is a large market for amphetamine at universities.

Jessica Mazour, sophomore in psychology, is a legal user of amphetamine.

“I’ve had a lot of people want to buy it from me,” she said. “I could sell it for up to $10 per pill.”

“[Sellers of amphetamine] can make so much money. There are people who would pay a pretty penny for that,” said Kathleen Bracken, sophomore in pre-advertising.

Greg Yeakel, chief staff pharmacist at Thielen Student Health Center, attests to the illegal trade of pharmaceuticals on campus.

“People are just handing medicines back and forth, whether it’s antibiotics or birth control,” he said.

With so many students eager to buy and sell this drug, it seems inevitable that an underground prescription-based drug culture would boom. Numerous students naively ingest the substance thinking that since it is legal for their ADHD peers to take, it must not have any adverse effects. However, amphetamine is not the harmless substance many students like to believe it is.

An unexpected killer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists amphetamine as a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and can cause serious harm if used incorrectly. Misuse of amphetamine can cause serious cardiovascular problems and even sudden death. If used in conjunction with other drugs, including commonly used substances such as alcohol and antidepressants, the risks of taking amphetamine skyrocket.

Some students even have negative amphetamine experiences without the interaction of other mind-altering substances.

Sarah Kerkman, junior in advertising, has taken amphetamine with hopes it would help her study.

“I couldn’t study with it,” she said. “It made me too hyped up. I tried to study, but I kept noticing that my room was dirty, so I had to start cleaning.”

“I couldn’t focus on what I wanted to focus on,” she said.

She says that she would not use the drug again.

A miracle worker

However, many students claim amphetamine is a miracle drug. For those who have an inability to focus, amphetamine can work wonders.

Mazour, who is a prescribed user, swears the stimulant is a life saver.

“It seriously helps you study. You can sit down for 10 hours straight and remember everything without getting tired or bored,” she said.

Her grades have risen from a low C average to a high B average since she began taking amphetamine.

“It’s amazing.” she said. “I recommend it to everyone.”

Canada’s market

There is a dichotomy surrounding amphetamine and its use as a prescription drug used to treat ADHD. The medicine, which can be both enormously beneficial and detrimental, has been the subject of international scrutiny.

On Feb. 9, 2005, Canada’s national public health care provider Health Canada removed amphetamine, specifically Adderall, from the market. Health Canada took amphetamine out of pharmacies because of concerns about sudden deaths, heart-related deaths and strokes in children and adults taking typical recommended doses of Adderall.

In August 2005, Health Canada allowed Adderall to return to the Canadian prescription drug market. Labeling on Adderall’s product was revised to include warnings against the drug’s usage in patients with structural heart abnormalities. Another warning label provided information on the dangers of misusing amphetamines. Health Canada also committed to surveying the post-market use of all stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD.

The U.S. perspective

In the United States, amphetamine remains legal for prescription use despite health risks to users. Warning labels are posted on the drug’s packaging citing that misuse of amphetamines can result in sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems.

Some Americans do not believe a label on a box is enough warning against the severity of the repercussions that could result from taking amphetamine. Some feel that amphetamine should be completely illegal, even as a treatment of ADHD.

Yeakel disagrees.

“I think it would be a sad, sad day if this medicine is taken off the market,” he said.

Kappel believes almost any drug will be abused if someone can find a use for it.

She, like Yeakel, also believes amphetamine should remain legal.

“I think if they made it illegal, it would make people more inclined to do it,” Bracken said.

Yeakel suggests the U.S. government implement stiffer penalties for the misuse of amphetamines and begin enforcing the laws that are already in place.

“I always think it’s not the right thing to do to take a medicine of the market,” he said.