Youth Culture Update: ADHD Medicine Increasingly Abused

Young adults ages 18 to 25 increasingly are abusing the drug Adderall, according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University.

The drug, which is used in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is one of the country’s most prescribed drugs. Between 2006 and 2011, prescriptions for the medication were fairly stable, but during that same timeframe, non-medical use of the drug rose by more than 67 percent, while emergency room visits made because of Adderall skyrocketed by nearly 156 percent. At least half of those visits were caused by young adults mixing Adderall with alcohol or other drugs. (ABC News)