A blog from CNN announced that a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that drug abuse differed ethnic groups, with Asian-American drug use seen to be the lowest. The study looked at drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes and also at cultural differences regarding drug use. I think that last aspect is important. According to this article from Pacific Citizen, Asian-American college students are increasingly abusing prescription drugs like Adderall in order to study more effectively. The article mentions an Asian-American college student named David at Oregon State University who uses Adderall:
“It helps me focus a lot more when it comes to crunch time. I can sit there for four to five hours straight studying without having to hit a wall or anything. It’s great.
Adderall is a prescription drug made from the psychostimulants dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. It can help to control focus for people suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Apparently, it is also used illegally as a tool to improve studying. David cites pressure from his Chinese-American parents to get good grades as one reason he started using what some call the “Miracle Drug.” He doesn’t think that its use is particular to Asian-Americans, estimating that 80% to 90% of Oregon State University students are using it. Adderall abusers risk addiction, stroke, and even sudden death.
When I was in high school and college, the drug use that I knew about was strictly recreational. In a lecture given by Challenge Success, an organization that works to change excessive academic pressure by broadening definitions of success (check them out), I heard that Adderall is also widely abused at some of the more competitive high schools in the Bay Area. What are your experiences? Is that 80% or 90% of Adderal use cited for Oregon State realistic? Have any of you seen abuse of Adderall and similar drugs in high school or college by Asian-Americans and others?
