You may have noticed the increasing frequency of athlete’s being busted for misusing Adderall. The latest scandal came earlier this month when Seattle Seahawk’s starting cornerbacks, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, face four-game suspensions for reportedly testing positive for a substance identified in multiple reports as Adderall.
Seems like a good time to pull out some important facts that everyone who takes an ADHD medicine needs to know:
Key Facts:
- 34 percent of students polled admitted to taking stimulant medications without a prescription; in juniors and seniors, the percentage can be as high as 80 percent.
- Possessing stimulant medications without a prescription is essentially the same as possessing any other controlled substance – illegal!
- A gift is a sale. In the eyes of the law, giving a controlled substance to someone who does not have the legal or medical authority to possess it is the same as selling it.
- Students who face challenges based upon the symptoms of their ADHD do not take medications to gain an advantage, but do so in order to have the ability to function in a school setting.
- Follow your medication plan. Changing your plan without consulting your doctor can have medical consequences and can create a surplus of pills that can lead to trouble. If you don’t feel that you need to take your meds on the schedule prescribed, tell your doctor and modify the plan with his or her guidance.
Keep your pills safe:
- When you live in a dorm, keep your pills locked up
- If you live in an apartment, lock up your pills when you have a party
If your friends ask you to give them some of your pills,
you can say:
- “I’m so sorry I only have a few left and I need them”
- “Oh I just ran out! I’m waiting to get my refill in the mail”
What do you do to keep your medication from being misused? Have you found this to be a big concern? Sound off in the comment section below.