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CU Cracking Down On Adderall On Campus

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - There's a campus crack down on a prescription drug being abused by students at the University of Colorado.

CU is warning students they could be charged with a felony if they buy Adderall to help them through finals. The school calls it a dangerous problem.

Adderall is a drug used mainly by people with attention deficit disorder to help them concentrate. Nationwide around 15 percent of students admit to using drugs like it to help them study. The CU campus is no different.

Within 10 minutes of being on the CU campus, CBS4's Dominic Garcia found stressed out students doing whatever they can to make the grade.

"I try and achieve the best grades, but it's hard," said a student who didn't want to be identified.

The student isn't prescribed Adderall, but says it helps him study and it's easy to get.

"I've never tried it until college, to tell you the truth," he said. "I always thought it was bad, but it definitely helps you focus, memorize, bunch of kids use it."

Some are getting in trouble for it. Two CU students were arrested after one allegedly sold the drug to the other. On Friday campus police reminded students of the consequences for selling it.

"It is a big problem," said Dr. Donald Misch, Director of CU Health Center.

There's the legal problems Adderall causes, but Misch says there's numerous health side effects such as anxiety, rapid heart rates, loss of appetite; and then there's the long-term psychological effects.

"So every time you are pressed in life at work when you're older, when you have deadlines, will you take these drugs? Or will you learn study habits that allow you to respond in a timely fashion," Misch said.

"I've definitely been tempted to, but I try and stay away from that kind of stuff," student Kate Manley said.

Manley said it's a question of ethics.

"I'd definitely say it provides somewhat of an unfair advantage to the kids who are taking it because I guess you can just focus for a longer amount of time," Manley said.

For her, passing on the quick fix is a long term gain.

It is a felony in Colorado for anyone to possess a prescription drug that is not prescribed to them. It's also a felony to provide prescription drugs to someone.

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