Have you ever taken amphetamines? Back in the 1970s it was a real big deal to take amphetamines. They were considered to be hard-core drugs. That apparently is not the case anymore as high school kids across the country are loading up on Ritalin and Adderall in efforts to stay awake and stay focused.
The days of coffee and Nodose are gone!
The kids abusing these prescription medication are the A students, sometimes the B students, who are trying to get good grades. One high school senior in Pennsylvania claims to make hundreds of dollars per week selling Adderall. He sells the pills for $5 to $20 each! This according to the New York Times.
In one week a social worker in California was asked by an 11th grader, a ninth grader and an eighth grader asked for prescriptions for Adderall solely for better grades
One of her clients claims that about one-third of her classmates at her small school, most of whom she knew well, used stimulants without a prescription to boost their scholastic performance.
One area where the abuse is especially prevalent is expensive, uber-competitive private schools where completion for grades is especially strong.
Students lie to their psychiatrists. They know what they need to say to get a prescription.
Another girls admitted, “Right before everybody took the PSATs, a bunch of kids went to the bathroom to snort their Addies.”
Is this not frightening? It scares the crud out of me.
I would like to see middle school implement mandatory drug classes and MIP classes to make kids aware of how dangerous and addictive these stimulants are.