One in ten teens using “study drugs,” but are parents paying attention?

Drug abuse consistently ranks high among adults’ top health concerns for children in the United States. Recently, misuse of prescription stimulant medications as “study drugs” has been gaining public attention. “Study drugs” usually refer to the types of stimulant medications or amphetamines typically prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); commonly prescribed medicines in this category include Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, and Vyvanse.

Sometimes students without ADHD take someone else’s stimulant medication, to try to stay awake or try to improve their scores on exams or assignments.  Although taking unprescribed “study drugs” has not been shown to improve students’ grades, the 2012 Monitoring the Future study found that 12% of high school seniors and 10% of sophomores reported having used Adderall, Ritalin, or another stimulant or amphetamine without a prescription at least once. 

To examine parents’ awareness about this emerging issue, in January 2013 the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents about their teens’ use of “study drugs” and their level of concern about the misuse of “study drugs” in their communities.

Perceptions of “Study Drug” Use among Teens

Among parents of teens 13 to 17 years old, 11% say their teens have been prescribed a stimulant medication for ADHD in the past.  Among parents of 13- to 17-year-olds who have not been prescribed such medicines, 1 in 100 say their teens have used a “study drug” to stay awake to study for an exam or to do homework (Figure 1).  In this same group, 4% of parents report that they “don’t know” if their teens use “study drugs” and 95% say that their teens have never misused these medications.

One-half of the parents surveyed say they are “very concerned” about children and teens in their communities using “study drugs” to do well on exams or homework.  White parents are most likely to say they are “very concerned” (54%), compared with black (38%) and Hispanic/Latino (37%) parents.

Only one-quarter (27%) of parents of teens in this survey report they have talked with their teens about using “study drugs.”  Black parents are more likely to have discussed this issue with their teens (41%), compared with white (27%) or Hispanic (17%) parents. 

Over three-quarters of parents support school policies aimed at stopping abuse of “study drugs” in middle schools and high schools.  Overall, 76% of parents believe schools should be required to discuss the dangers of ADHD medication abuse.  In addition, 79% support a policy to require students with a prescription for ADHD medications to keep their pills in a secure location such as the school nurse’s office—a requirement that would prohibit students from carrying stimulant medicines that could potentially be shared with, or sold to, other students.