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Hi All,

Check out this recent article on CNN about college students' abuse of drugs meant to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/01/health/drugs-adderall-concentration/

The article reports that 30% of college students at the University of Kentucky have used ADHD medications that they did not have a prescription for. It also reports that as many as 80% of upperclassmen involved in greek life have used these drugs.

Compare these numbers to those found in this paper from 2005:

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74786/1/j.1360-0443.2005.00944.x.pdf

This paper reports a finding that 6.9% of college students were illegally using medications like Adderall.

Consider the ethical implications of using medications such as Adderall for studying purposes. Answer some of these questions:

Is it cheating to use these drugs in order to get a better grade on a test? Should these drugs be made available to all students, in order to level the playing field? Do you feel that it is possible to compete in college without using prescription stimulants? Do students who actually have a prescription for Adderall have an advantage over students who do not? Considering the increase in ADHD drug abuse over the last several years, what do you think is the future of "study drug" use on college campuses?

Remember to post your responses on the CU Neuroscience Facebook page and copy-paste them into your student journals.

I look forward to seeing what you think!
Lisa