It’s an epidemic that’s sweeping school and college campuses nationwide.  It’s not just caffeine and energy drinks that young adults are taking to cram for exams.  Now it’s Adderall, a prescription drug used to treat attention deficit disorder, and it carries potentially harmful side effects.

Faye Crossett cherishes the memories of her daughter Tracy.

“She was an incredible student. In elementary school she was very upbeat,” she said. 

Tracy was a talented musician who died four years ago at age 17 of a heroin overdose.  It wasn’t until after Tracy’s death that Crossett began to piece together what led to her daughter’s drug-induced downfall. Journals revealed troubled emotions.  Crossett also uncovered Tracy’s abuse of a popular prescription drug to help her study for tests and stay awake in class.

“She'd be frantic.  (She would say) ‘I wish I had some Adderall.  I need some Adderall.  If I don't get some Adderall I might just kill myself,’” remembered Faye.  “I didn’t at the time know what Adderall was.”

Adderall is an amphetamine that’s been used for decades to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition of the brain that makes it difficult to pay attention or to control behavior. 

Dr. Michele Hauser, a psychiatrist who specializes in adolescent behavior, knows the medical benefits of Adderall.

“People with ADHD feel calm and focused when they take their medication and they don't have addiction to it,” she said.

But according to Dr. Hauser, Adderall can be harmful if taken illegally by someone not diagnosed with ADHD.

“They don't know how much is dangerous to take and they may inadvertently take an overdose,” she said.

On college campuses, students are stressed out.  That pressure is pushing more and more students to abuse Adderall at an alarming rate.

 “I think people are using it to help them do better on tests or maybe on speeches you have to do. They take Adderall,” said Wenjing Wei, a student.

To counter alchohol and drug abuse, college counselors are offering students other stress relief options, everything from acupuncture and massages to pet therapy.

But as long as young adults see it as a study aide, like Tracy did, then it’s likely Adderall misuse will continue.  And parents, like Faye Crossett, may not fine out about until after it’s too late.

Like other stimulants, Adderall is especially dangerous to patients with cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure or a history of mental illness.

Immediate release Adderall takes effect in less than 30-minutes and lasts for about four hours.

To counter its illegal use, doctors are beginning to prescribe extended release, which last about 12 hours and is only given once a day, preferably while supervised by a parent or other responsible adults.