17% Of All Young Adults Report Abusing Prescription Stimulants

About 17% of young adults between age 18 and 25 report abusing stimulants normally prescribed to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at least once in their lifetime. Abuse in this context was defined as taking ADHD medication prescribed for someone else, whether given by a friend or family member for whom it was prescribed or purchased without a prescription. The prevalence of abusing ADHD medications varied by educational status: 20% of college students and 15% of non-students reported abusing ADHD medications. The most commonly abused medications are Adderall (reported by 60%), Ritalin (reported by 20%) and Vyvanse (reported . . .