Parents may have heard their teens and college students mumbling about the power of “study drugs,” but what are they and what do they do? Today’s guest author, Allison Kreiger Walsh, J.D., of Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), separates fact from fiction in today’s post. ARS is a network of addiction recovery programs, including online educational resources and brick-and-mortar treatment facilities like Next Generation Village.

The Truth About Study Drugs

Imagine you’re a high school student about to face final exams — juggling a part-time job, honors classes, play practice and applying to colleges on top of it all. It’s a double-edged sword — universities want scholars who take advanced classes and earn high marks, but they also want students who are well-rounded and involved in many different activities. Some teenagers can handle this intense pressure, but others may look for help in the form of prescription pills.

Whispers about study drugs run rampant in schools. It’ll make you stay up all night so you can study, they say. It’ll help you pass your tests, they say. It’ll make you better in school, they say. It’s safe, they say.

But is any of that actually true? Science says no.

What Are Study Drugs?

Study drugs are prescription stimulants, including amphetamines like Adderall and methylphenidate like Ritalin. Kids may call these drugs “Addy,” “Rids,” or “Vitamin R.” Stimulants affect the body’s central nervous system, causing it to produce an excess of natural chemicals called neurotransmitters that elevate a person’s motor activity, mood and alertness.

Doctors often prescribe stimulants to adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. Kids with ADHD have low levels of neurotransmitters, which causes them to be unable to focus, sit still or listen, often resulting in a poor academic performance. Prescription stimulants raise these levels, allowing students with ADHD to perform competitively with what scientists call “cognitively normal” classmates.

Study Drug Myths

There are several reasons why kids may take study drugs, but research has proven none of them have any foundation in science. But, with a lack of education on the topic, kids (and sometimes parents) take fiction as fact, putting the teen’s academics and health at risk.

Myth #1: Study Drugs Improve Academics

Students think study drugs will give them a competitive edge in school. This is because of the drug’s symptoms in cognitively normal users.

Prescription stimulants have the same effects on all users — raising the level of neurotransmitters — regardless of the user’s existing level of these brain chemicals. For people with ADHD who have a reduced level of neurotransmitters, stimulant use yields desirable symptoms — a calmer demeanor, increased ability to organize thoughts and less rigidity.

When a cognitively normal person uses study drugs, their neurotransmitter levels rise above the normal rate, causing changes in mood and behavior. Users who take prescription stimulants non-medically may experience intense bursts of focus, insomnia and loss of appetite.

Together, students take these symptoms to be a good thing because it allows them to stay up all night studying or writing a paper, theoretically improving their academic performance. However, science shows there is no evidence to back up these rumors. One study from 2013 showed first year students who took study drugs non-medically skipped double the amount of classes, had lower grades and partied more than students who didn’t take the drugs.

Myth #2: Only College Students Use Study Drugs

It’s also a common rumor that study drugs are only taken on college campuses, but once again research proves that isn’t true.

A 2015 Monitoring the Future survey showed 10% of high school sophomores and 12% of seniors admitted to the non-medical use of study drugs at some point in their life.

Drug use in middle school is also a concern. The first-ever study of middle school prescription stimulant use also reveals 10th graders aren’t the youngest ones using the drugs. According to data from the study, which surveyed 6th to 8th graders, one in every 15 students said they had used study drugs non-medically.

These numbers may surprise parents, considering a 2013 study by the University of Michigan’s Mott Children’s Hospital revealed only 1% of parents believed their teens had used study drugs.

Myth #3: Study Drugs Are Safe

Perhaps worst of all, many kids taking study drugs non-medically don’t realize how dangerous the habit can be.

Because teens are getting Adderall or Ritalin from classmates and not a doctor, they often don’t realize stimulants can cause serious effects when taken in high doses, including violent behavior, psychosis, seizures and malnutrition. And kids who have heart conditions and high blood pressure are even more at risk for an adverse reaction.

In addition, prescription stimulants can be highly addictive when used outside a prescription. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies these drugs alongside methadone and cocaine because of the high potential for abuse and physical dependence.

Misusing these drugs also carries serious legal ramifications. Kids caught using without a prescription can face criminal charges, and those diverting their prescription to others can face felony charges, which often result in jail time.

Learning More About Study Drugs

To learn more about study drug abuse, including stats and opinions from industry experts, check out our comprehensive resource on study drugs.