Using and Abusing Adderall: What’s the Big Deal?

by Katie Anthony
University of Kentucky

General goal: I want to inform my audience.

Specific goal: I would like the audience to understand the uses and abuses of Adderall by college
students.

Thesis statement: I want to inform you about the growing problem of off -label Adderall usage by
college students, explaining the nature and legal uses of Adderall, its growing popularity as a study
aid for college students, and the problems associated with abusing Adderall.

Introduction

I. Attention getter: Raise your hand if anyone you know has taken the drug Adderall. Keep your
hand raised if the person you know to be taking Adderall is doing so without a prescription on
for the drug.

II. Listener relevance: The illegal use of stimulants like Adderall among college students has
increased dramatically over the past decade. The latest National Study on Drug Use and Health
found that nearly 7 percent of full-time college students reported using Adderall without a
prescription. So if you know ten people who are in college, it is likely that you know someone
who is abusing Adderall.

III. Speaker credibility: I became interested in this topic my freshman year when my roommate
received a call from her mother telling her that her best friend, who was a sophomore at a
different college, had died suddenly from an Adderall-induced heart attack. Because I had
several friends who were also using Adderall without a prescription but who thought it was safe
to do so, I began to read all I could about the drug, its use, and its risks. Not only have I become
versed in the written information on Adderall, but I have also interviewed several faculty here
who are studying the problem, and I have become an undergraduate research assistant helping
one faculty member to collect data on this problem. Today, I want to share with you some of
what I have learned.

IV. Thesis statement: Specifically, I want to inform you about the growing problem of off -label
Adderall usage by college students, explaining the nature and legal uses of Adderall, its
growing popularity as a study aid for college students, and the problems associated with
abusing Adderall.
Body

I. Adderall is a psychostimulant prescribed to treat three conditions.

Listener relevance link: Understanding the intended medical uses of the drug Adderall may
help you understand why the drug is so widely abused by collegians.

A. Adderall, the brand name for amphetamikne-dextroamphetamine, is a psychostimulant, one

of a class of drugs intended to promote concentrate on, suppress hyperactivity, and
promote healthy social experiences for patients (Willis, 2001).

1. Adderall stimulates the central nervous system by increasing the amount of dopamine
and norepinephrine in the brain. These chemicals are neurotransmitters that help the
brain send signals between nerve cells (Daley, 2004, April 20).
2. Mentally, Adderall brings about a temporary improvement in alertness, wakefulness,
endurance, and motivation.
3. Physically, it can increase heart rate and blood pressure and decrease perceived need
for food or sleep.

B. Adderall is prescribed for the medical treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in children and adults as well as for narcolepsy and clinical depression.

1. ADHD is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder characterized by problems of

attention on coupled with hyperactivity.

a. Since the mid-1990s, there has been a documented increase in the number of
American children diagnosed and treated for ADHD (McCabe, Teter, & Boyd,
2004).
b. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000),
symptoms must be present for at least six months for diagnosis and symptoms
must be excessive for medicinal treatment.
c. The drugs Ritalin and Dexedrine are also used to treat ADHD. Adderall, however,
remains the most widely prescribed of these drugs (Willis, 2001).
d. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 4.4 million American
children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and over 2.5 million of those patients
have been prescribed medicine to treat the condition on (2005).

2. Adderall is also prescribed to treat narcolepsy, which occurs when the brain can’t
normally cycles of sleep and waking.
 a. Sufferers of narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness that results in
episodes of suddenly falling asleep.
b. A chronic sleep disorder, narcolepsy affects between 50,000 and 2.4 million
Americans. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2008).

3. Adderall can also be used to treat clinical depression.

a. Clinical depression is a disorder characterized by low mood, a loss of interest in

normal activities, and low self-esteem.
b. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 9.5% of the adult population–
that is nearly 1.8 million American adults–suffer from clinical depression.

Transition: Now that we understand the basic properties and medical uses of the drug Adderall, let’s
now assess the increasing level of abuse of the drug by college students.

II. Unfortunately, Adderall has become popular among college students who use it as a study aid
and for recreational purposes.
Listener relevance link: As college students, we need to be aware of what students believe
about Adderall and why they are abusing it.

A. (Supporting detail 1)

1. (Elaboration/Evidence 1)
2. (Elaboration/Evidence 2)

B. (Supporting detail 2)

1. (Elaboration/Evidence 1)
2. (Elaboration/Evidence 2)

Transition: Now that we understand that Adderall abuse is prevalent on university campuses among
students, it is important to understand the detrimental effects that can accompany the illegal use of
Adderall.

III. Whether students acknowledge the dangers or not, there are great risks involved in illegally
using Adderall.
Listener relevance link: As we have now discussed the pervasiveness of Adderall abuse,
statistically, it is likely that several of you have used this substance without a prescription to
either enhance your academic performance or your social outings. Thus, it is important that we
all recognize the adverse effects that result from taking Adderall without a prescription.
 A. (Supporting detail 1)

1. (Elaboration/Evidence 1)
2. (Elaboration/Evidence 2)

B. (Supporting detail 2)

1. (Elaboration/Evidence 1)
2. (Elaboration/Evidence 2)

Transition: Now that we understand the risks involved in illegally using Adderall, hopefully you have
a better understanding of why using the drug without a prescription is so dangerous.

Conclusion

I. Restatement of thesis: Adderall is a prescription stimulant that is increasingly being abused by

college students primarily as a study aid.
II. Main point review: We have examined today what the drug Adderall is, its growing popularity
among college students especially as a study aid, and the risks associated with using the drug
illegally.
III. Clincher: The next time you or a friend considers taking Adderall as a study aid, think again.
The potential harm that the drug could cause to your body is not worth even a perfect grade
point average.