Most universities have academic honesty policies that prohibit plagiarism and other traditional forms of cheating, but most don't mention the ethics of using drugs such as Adderall to boost performance.

Distributing or taking a drug that's not prescribed for you is illegal, but the law is difficult to enforce and the pills are widely available on college campuses. Students and faculty alike are divided on whether popping a pill is cheating.

Shivon Mansfield, a grad student studying chemistry at Fisk University, prefers to use Red Bull to stay awake. But if a student were to use a prescription stimulant, she wouldn't consider it cheating. "You're still doing the studying," she says.

Matthew Fleischer, a senior philosophy major at Vanderbilt University, acknowledges that using a stimulant isn't an obvious ethical violation, but he says that still doesn't make it right. "It's not cheating like taking notes to your exam," he says, "but it is giving yourself an advantage that is unnatural."

John Lachs, centennial professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt, says that it's unethical for a student to put himself at an advantage at the expense of other students, but the widespread availability of ADHD drugs means that a student is not getting an unfair advantage.

Still, more brain-boosting drugs are in development, including drugs that allow people to function without sleep. Already, over-the-counter supplements such as Brain Speed are being marketed as tools to help improve decision-making, increase productivity and "think faster."

"In the future that might not be seen as cheating," she says. "It's just like all this cosmetic surgery. It may become the norm that you enhance your performance."

College students are turning to prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin to get them through late-night cram sessions, risking potential side effects and unknown long-term effects for a chance at a better grade.

"I would say it's pretty common," says Matthew Fleischer, a senior philosophy major at Vanderbilt University. "I know people who use it; I know people who call me and ask me if I can find some for them."

Thomas Williams, a sophomore political science major at Vanderbilt, says he knows students who exaggerate their needs for a prescription so that they can sell the pills.

Adderall is an amphetamine that is prescribed to improve focus and attention in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to its manufacturer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, 40 million prescriptions for the drug have been written since 1996, making it the most prescribed ADHD drug. Ritalin, Concerta and Dexedrine are other popular stimulants used to treat ADHD.

The drugs have fallen into favor with people without ADHD, people who are looking for an occasional mental boost to get them through a long night of studying. Students say that while caffeine will simply keep you awake, prescription stimulants such as Adderall actually increase your ability to concentrate.

The popularity of stimulant use varies widely between college campuses. According to a national survey of nearly 11,000 students published this year in the journal Addiction, colleges with more competitive admission standards have the highest rates of nonmedical use -- up to 25%.

Overall, nearly 7% of students surveyed had taken a stimulant without a prescription. Many say that number appears to be on the rise. "I think there has become an attitude that medications like Adderall and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) really aren't dangerous," says Dr. Carol Milam, psychiatrist at the Vanderbilt University Student Health Center.

Side effects of Adderall can include loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache and dry mouth. The manufacturer warns that it's not recommended for people who have heart problems, high blood pressure, significant anxiety or a history of drug abuse.

This year, Health Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration, temporarily pulled Adderall from the market after 20 people worldwide who were taking the drugs died suddenly. "These deaths were not associated with overdose, misuse or abuse," the agency noted.

After a seven-month study, the agency returned the drug to the market with a new label warning against the use of the drug by people with structural heart abnormalities. Another new label warns about the dangers of misusing amphetamines. In the United States, the FDA has not made any changes to the drug's labeling.

Sean McCabe, a research scientist at the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center and lead author of the study in Addiction, says he's not convinced that the drugs give students an advantage.

His study found people who used the stimulants tended to have lower grade-point averages and were more likely to have used drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine.

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