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| April 7, 2009 |
Nonmedical Use of Adderall® among Full-Time College Students
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- Full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year (6.4 vs. 3.0 percent)
- Full-time college students who were nonmedical users of Adderall® were almost 3 times as likely as those who had not used Adderall® nonmedically to have used marijuana in the past year (79.9 vs. 27.2 percent), 8 times more likely to have used cocaine in that period (28.9 vs. 3.6 percent), 8 times more likely to have been nonmedical users of prescription tranquilizers (24.5 vs. 3.0 percent), and 5 times more likely to have been nonmedical users of prescription pain relievers (44.9 vs. 8.7 percent)
- Nearly 90.0 percent of full-time college students who used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year were past month binge alcohol users, and more than half were heavy alcohol users
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Nonmedical use of Adderall® is of special interest to policymakers because, as an amphetamine, Adderall® is among the group of legally approved drugs classified as having the highest potential for dependence or abuse.1 A prior study of nonmedical use of stimulants such as Adderall® by college students reported considerably higher rates of frequent binge alcohol use, marijuana use, and cocaine use among students who used stimulants nonmedically in the past year compared with their counterparts who had not.2 Use of both cocaine and stimulants is problematic because each increases the risk for heart attack or stroke.3,4
This issue of The NSDUH Report examines the rates of nonmedical use of Adderall® in the past year among full-time college students aged 18 to 22 and comparably aged persons who were not full-time college students.5,6 All findings presented in this report are annual averages based on combined 2006 and 2007 data.
Nonmedical Use of Adderall®, by College Enrollment Status
Full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year (6.4 vs. 3.0 percent) (Figure 1). This pattern was found for both males and females and for persons aged 18 to 20 as well as for those 21 or 22 years old.
Figure 1. Nonmedical Use of Adderall® in the Past Year among Full-Time College Students and Other Persons Aged 18 to 22, by Age Group and Gender: 2006 and 2007
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Figure 1 Table. Nonmedical Use of Adderall® in the Past Year among Full-Time College Students and Other Persons Aged 18 to 22, by Age Group and Gender: 2006 and 2007
| Enrollment Status | Total Aged
18 to 22 | Aged
18 to 20 | Aged
21 or 22 | Male | Female |
Full-Time
College Students | 6.4% | 6.1% | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.0% |
| Other | 3.0% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 2.9% |
| Source: 2006 and 2007 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Other Drug Use
Among full-time college students, those who had used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year were more likely than those who had not used Adderall® nonmedically to have used illicit drugs or to have used other prescription drugs nonmedically in the past year. Full-time college students who were nonmedical users of Adderall® were almost 3 times as likely as those who had not used Adderall® nonmedically to have used marijuana in the past year (79.9 vs. 27.2 percent), 8 times more likely to have used cocaine in that period (28.9 vs. 3.6 percent), 8 times more likely to have been nonmedical users of prescription tranquilizers (24.5 vs. 3.0 percent), and 5 times more likely to have been nonmedical users of prescription pain relievers (44.9 vs. 8.7 percent) (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Other Drug Use in the Past Year among Full-Time College Students Aged 18 to 22, by Past Year Nonmedical Use of Adderall®: 2006 and 2007
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Figure 2 Table. Other Drug Use in the Past Year among Full-Time College Students Aged 18 to 22, by Past Year Nonmedical Use of Adderall®: 2006 and 2007
| Drug Use | Used Adderall® Nonmedically in the Past Year | Did Not Use Adderall® Nonmedically in the Past Year |
| Marijuana | 79.9% | 27.2% |
| Cocaine | 28.9% | 3.6% |
| Hallucinogens | 32.2% | 5.0% |
| LSD | 7.1% | 1.0% |
| Ecstasy | 14.8% | 2.4% |
| Inhalants | 9.4% | 1.5% |
| Pain Relievers | 44.9% | 8.7% |
| OxyContin® | 8.6% | 1.0% |
| Tranquilizers | 24.5% | 3.0% |
| Methamphetamine | 3.8% | 0.4% |
| Sedatives | 2.2% | 0.4% |
| Source: 2006 and 2007 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Alcohol Use
Among full-time college students aged 18 to 22, those who used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year were more than 1.5 times as likely as their counterparts to have used alcohol in the past month (95.4 vs. 63.0 percent), more than twice as likely to have been binge alcohol users (89.5 vs. 41.4 percent), and more than 3 times as likely to have been heavy alcohol users (55.2 vs. 15.6 percent) (Figure 3). Similar patterns were observed for underage full-time college students (i.e., those aged 18 to 20) who used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year and for nonmedical Adderall® users of legal drinking age compared with their counterparts who had not used it nonmedically (data not shown).
Figure 3. Alcohol Use in the Past Month among Full-Time College Students Aged 18 to 22, by Past Year Nonmedical Use of Adderall®: 2006 and 2007
Figure 3 Table. Alcohol Use in the Past Month among Full-Time College Students Aged 18 to 22, by Past Year Nonmedical Use of Adderall®: 2006 and 2007
| Use in the Past Month | Alcohol
Use | Binge Alcohol
Use | Heavy Alcohol
Use |
| Used Adderall® Nonmedically in the Past Year | 95.4% | 89.5% | 55.2% |
| Did Not Use Adderall® Nonmedically in the Past Year | 63.0% | 41.4% | 15.6% |
| Source: 2006 and 2007 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Demographic Differences
Among full-time college students aged 18 to 22, nonmedical use of Adderall® in the past year was more likely among whites (8.6 percent) than blacks (1.0 percent), Asians (2.1 percent), Hispanics (2.2 percent), or persons of two or more races (2.7 percent) (Table 1). Nonmedical use of Adderall® among full-time college students was highest among students whose annual family incomes were less than $20,000 (8.9 percent), followed by those with annual family incomes of $75,000 or more (6.0 percent). Rates were lower for students with annual family incomes of $20,000 to $49,999 (3.0 percent) or $50,000 to $74,999 (4.0 percent).
Table 1. Nonmedical Use of Adderall® in the Past Year among Full-Time College Students Aged 18 to 22, by Selected Demographic Characteristics: 2006 and 2007
| Demographic Characteristic | % |
| Race/Ethnicity * | |
| White | 8.6 |
| Black or African American | 1.0 |
| Asian | 2.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.7 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.2 |
| Annual Family Income | |
| Less than $20,000 | 8.9 |
| $20,000 to $49,999 | 3.0 |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 4.0 |
| $75,000 or More | 6.0 |
| Source: 2006 and 2007 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Discussion
The higher rate of nonmedical use of Adderall® among full-time college students than among others in the same age range is a public health concern because of this drug's potential for dependence or abuse. Educators, counselors, and others who work with students also need to be aware that polydrug use was prevalent among full-time college students who used Adderall®® increase a person's risk for heart attack or stroke. Students who use Adderall®®. Finally, high rates of binge and heavy alcohol use among full-time college students who used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year are a cause for concern because of the well-documented associations between excessive drinking among college students and the adverse consequences for students' physical and mental health, safety, and environment.7 nonmedically in the past year. As noted previously, both cocaine and stimulants such as Adderall nonmedically also may need to take central nervous system depressants such as pain relievers or tranquilizers—which carry their own risks of dependence or abuse—to counteract the stimulant effects of Adderall
End Notes
1 Prescription drug classifications (or schedules) based on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) can be found online at http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html. For definitions of drug schedules under the CSA, see http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/csa/812.htm#a
2 McCabe, S. E., Knight, J. R., Teter, C. J., & Wechsler, H. (2005). Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: Prevalence and correlates from a national survey. Addiction, 100, 96-106.
3 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2008, August). NIDA InfoFacts: Cocaine. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html
4 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2008, June). NIDA InfoFacts: Stimulant ADHD medications – Methylphenidate and amphetamines. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/ADHD.html
5 Nonmedical use is defined as the use of prescription-type drugs not prescribed for the respondent by a physician or used only for the experience or feeling they caused. For this analysis, respondents with missing data for their lifetime or past year nonmedical use of Adderall® were treated as though they were nonusers.
6 Respondents were classified as full-time college students if they reported that they were in their first through fourth year (or higher) at a college or university and that they were enrolled full time. Respondents who were on break were considered enrolled if they intended to return to college or university when the break ended. Respondents aged 18 to 22 who were not full-time college students included those who were enrolled part time in college, enrolled in secondary school, or not enrolled. Respondents with unknown enrollment status were excluded from this analysis.
7 College Drinking – Changing the Culture, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2007, July 11 [last reviewed]). A snapshot of annual high-risk college drinking consequences. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/facts/snapshot.aspx
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