The Daily Tar Heel
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The Daily Tar Heel

TO THE EDITOR:

I was visiting with friends who attend other universities over Thanksgiving break, and the prevalence of Adderall use came up in the discussion.

Adderall is a mixture of amphetamines that is prescribed for the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy.
It works much like methamphetamine and cocaine in that it increases alertness, concentration, and overall cognitive performance and decreases fatigue in the user.

The Controlled Substance Act states that it has a high potential for abuse and addiction.
However, due to the high rate of ADHD diagnoses in our society, it is quite easy to get one’s hands on a prescription of Adderall.

Students are increasingly using the drug to help them study and perform well on exams.

The prevalence of this use caused my friends and I to ask ourselves a few questions. Is it fair?

The use of Adderall in academics certainly makes the playing field less even. If it’s so easy to get a hold of, then should we compromise our standards and use it too so that we can compete on a higher level?

Are the disparities so great that universities should implement such extreme measures as drug testing before exams? Is it a legitimate excuse to explain away my (low) GPA by my refusal to use Adderall? And what about those (few) people who really need the drug to help with their ADHD or narcolepsy?

Food for thought.

Elizabeth Melenbrink
Senior
Chemistry

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