Researchers discovered a spike in emergency room visits from young adults after taking stimulant drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to CBS News.
Dr. Jon LaPook, CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent, found that a majority of emergency room cases are the result of young adults taking prescribed medications without having an ADHD diagnosis or medical prescription.
In a new report published in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), ER visits shot up 300 percent among people aged 18 to 34 for nonmedical, stimulant-related incidents from 2005 to 2011.
The report notes that nonmedical use of stimulants, such as Adderall, have been linked to heart and blood vessel problems in addition to drug abuse and/or dependence.
In the research that studied incidents over a six-year period, only around 30 percent of ER visits each year resulted in a combination of stimulant medication with alcohol. In total, 22,949 young adults visited the hospital due to stimulant drugs in 2011 versus the 5,605 that did in 2005.
"We must raise awareness of this public health risk and do everything possible to prevent it," said Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, chief medical officer at SAMHSA.
According to LaPook, while there are serious risks involved with taking stimulant medication, he has no intention of taking it away from those who actually need it.
"For people who do have ADHD, it can be life-changing, so we're not talking about those people who really do need it," he said. "But people who are just taking it because they think it can improve their performance on a test, they're just playing Russian roulette."
Stimulant drugs have become popular on college campuses for students to use before studying or test-taking. It is estimated that 35 percent of college students take some form of stimulants.
