Youth Radio's Michelle Jarboe is a high achiever who juggled classes and a full-time job during her last two years of college. Though she's not into illicit drugs, she admits to occasional past use of Adderall and Ritalin, drugs prescribed for attention deficit disorder, as study aids. She's not alone - quite a few of her friends have done and still do the same thing, not only during exam season but also throughout the semester and during summer school. Michelle explores why ADD drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are being passed around by friends, and even sold among students to improve academic performance and decrease the need for sleep.
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Piece Description
Youth Radio's Michelle Jarboe is a high achiever who juggled classes and a full-time job during her last two years of college. Though she's not into illicit drugs, she admits to occasional past use of Adderall and Ritalin, drugs prescribed for attention deficit disorder, as study aids. She's not alone - quite a few of her friends have done and still do the same thing, not only during exam season but also throughout the semester and during summer school. Michelle explores why ADD drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are being passed around by friends, and even sold among students to improve academic performance and decrease the need for sleep.
3 Comments
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Review of Attention Deficit Drugs Black Market on CampusI thought this piece was very intriging for me to hear and read. As a senior in high school with ADHD, this piece has made me wonder what pressures will occur next year. Will I become a victim of this new fad? I liked hearing the different perspectives on this issue, esspecially the student who had faked having an attention disorder. I never really would have thought of a student doing that, though I understand it now that it has been brought to my attention. Overall, this piece was very well done. |
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Review of Attention Deficit Drugs Black Market on CampusVery true and honest story. I think your story is just simply the tip of the ice berg (regarding college problems)! I applaud you for coming out (yourself once an addict) and shed light to this problem. But I sort of felt your story sold the drug to me. It was focused more on the positive consequences it had and less on the negative effects. Besides being addictive like coffee is there any other bad consequences the drug has? Because the drug does not sound that bad, but being addictive, it helps keep people in focus and helps them get there work done. See this is the problem your story doesn?t paint the whole picture. But I am glad you beat the addiction maybe your next story can be on, ways to prevent the abuse of this drug. But on the positive side you had allot of people in your story and you managed to put them all in without making it confusing for the listeners, great job. Can?t wait to hear more about this story, you rock!!!! |
Broadcast History
First broadcast on Marketplace 2/9/06
Transcript
Attention Deficit Drugs Black Market
Michelle Jarboe, Youth Radio
Intro:
Sales of popular Attention Deficit Drugs like Ritalin and Adderall added up to around 2.7 billion dollars in 2004, with more than 33 million prescriptions filled in the U.S. That?s according to the prescription auditing firm IMS Health. Youth Radio?s Michelle Jarboe is part of what some people call the ?Ritalin generation? because her peers have been familiar with Attention Deficit drugs since elementary school. Now that her generation has hit college, ADD drugs have become a hot commodity as study aids and even party drugs. Michelle reports from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her alma mater, on the black market for these drugs on campus.
Michelle:
The few times I took Ritalin, I got the pills from a boyfriend whose parents were psychiatrists. He didn?t have Attention Deficit Disorder, but...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
Suggested Host Intro:
Sales of popular Attention Deficit Drugs like Ritalin and Adderall added up to around 2.7 billion dollars in 2004, with more than 33 million prescriptions filled in the U.S. That?s according to the prescription auditing firm IMS Health. Youth Radio?s Michelle Jarboe is part of what some people call the ?Ritalin generation? because her peers have been familiar with Attention Deficit drugs since elementary school. Now that her generation has hit college, ADD drugs have become a hot commodity as study aids and even party drugs. Michelle reports from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her alma mater, on the black market for these drugs on campus.
Host back announce: That story was produced by Youth Radio
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Jamie Krzywicki
Posted on January 10, 2008 at 06:33 AM | Permalink
Review of Attention Deficit Drugs Black Market on Campus
This piece deals with a common problem faced among the younger generation today, drug abuse. This focuses particurally on college students who take these prescription drugs illegally because they do not belong to them. The most common cases talked about are for an extra boost on school work such as school papers because these drugs make them feel "more alive." The harsh reality is that it becomes more than just a casual thing for most, it becomes an addiction. Pretty soon most of those who take these drugs become dependant on them and belive they can not function as well without them. This piece addresses that fact and gives perspectives from students who take these drugs and/ or have in the past.