to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Drug Info
    • Paraphernalia
  • Drugs & Your Family
    • Accidental Exposure: Drugs and Young Children
    • Medications in Your Home
    • Signs of Drug Use
    • Social Media: Understanding a Teen's World
    • Talking to Your Child When You Suspect Drug Use
    • True Stories
    • Using Over-the-Counter Medication Safely
    • What You Should Know About Marijuana Concentrates/ Honey Butane Oil
    • What’s Happening in Your Child’s School
    • Why do Teens Use Drugs?
  • News & Media
    • Latest News
    • Emerging Drug Trends
    • Tracking Drug Use and Other Drug-Related Statistics
  • Consequences
    • Drugged Driving—What You Should Know
    • How Do Drug Overdoses Happen?
    • How Drugs Alter Brain Development and Affect Teens
    • School Failure
    • State and Federal Drug Laws
    • Treatment and Recovery
    • True Stories
    • VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High—A Bad Idea
  • Get Involved
    • DEA Museum
    • DEA Red Ribbon Week Patch Program
    • Get Involved in a Community Anti-Drug Coalition
    • National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
    • National Recovery Month 2021
    • Operation Prevention
    • Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31
    • Upcoming DEA 360 Events
  • Search
  • Menu
Home
  • English
  • Spanish
  • DEA Publications
  • Get Updates
  • Find Help
  • Menu

Main Menu

  • Drug Info
  • Drugs & Your Family
  • News & Media
  • Consequences
  • Get Involved
  • Search
  • Menu

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News & Media
  3. Study: One in Four Teens Has Abused Stimulant Medications for ADHD

Study: One in Four Teens Has Abused Stimulant Medications for ADHD

Last Updated: Wednesday May 17, 2023


Adderall

(ADDitude) One in four middle and high school students has reported abusing prescription stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, according to a cross-sectional study recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open. 1 Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among teens remains more prevalent than misuse of other prescription drugs, including opioids and benzodiazepines, the research found.

According to researchers at the University of Michigan, students who used marijuana in the past 30 days were four times more likely to abuse ADHD medications than teens who did not use cannabis. In addition, stimulant drug abuse was 36% more likely to occur in schools with a large population of students with stimulant medication prescriptions to treat ADHD than it was in schools with fewer students using prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin. (Studies have shown that one in every nine high school seniors reported taking prescribed stimulants for ADHD.) (2, 3)

According to the research, other factors associated with increased rates of stimulant drug abuse included:

  • Schools located in suburban, non-Northeastern regions of the U.S.
  • Schools with a high proportion of parents with a college degree
  • Schools with a higher proportion of white students
  • Schools with a medium amount of binge drinking among students (10%-19% of the total student body)

Read more.

Featured Articles
Marijuana and lungs
Lung Cancer Diagnosis Comes 2.8 Years Sooner for Smokers of Both Tobacco and Marijuana
Beware illicit fentanyl
Illicit Fentanyl PSA
Woman uses a phone
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Transitions to 988
Wyatt Williamson
Wyatt's Story

Footer

  • About this site
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Useful links
    • DEA Publications
    • Drugs & Paraphernalia
    • Find Help
    • Just Think Twice
    • Campus Drug Prevention
  • About DEA
    • Accessibility
    • DEA: Who We Are
    • FOIA
    • U.S. Department of Justice
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • Legal Policies and Disclaimers
    • USA.gov
Home
This is a United States Government, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. The inclusion of a link on this website does not constitute an official endorsement, guarantee, or approval by DEA.