NEWS

Adderall becomes drug of the moment after suspensions

Print

In recent days, Adderall has received a lot of attention after the NFL suspended four players over the weekend for reportedly using the drug.

What does the drug do? According to the National Health Library of Science:

The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine is used as part of a treatment program to control symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; more difficulty focusing, controlling actions, and remaining still or quiet than other people who are the same age) in adults and children. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine tablets are also used to treat narcolepsy (a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden attacks of sleep). The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine is in a class of medications called central nervous system stimulants. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain.

USA Today Sports looked at the issue from a big-picture perspective. It asked if the NFL has a widespread Adderall problem.

The drug itself is misunderstood. There is a counter-intuitive aspect to how Adderall works. It is a stimulant, but it has a calming effect on those who use it to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by basically balancing out chemicals in the brain. For those who don’t need the drug, Adderall acts as a powerful stimulant — an alertness aid for students in an all-night study session, a pick-me-up for those wishing to extend the party, or, in the case of an athlete looking to gain an edge, an energy boost when they need it.

The Newark Star-Ledger reported that players seemed to be taking the drug unwittingly, including Giants safety Tyler Sash.

Since last December, at least 10 players have blamed Adderall for their positive tests, including three this month alone. Among them are the Seattle Seahawks’ two starting cornerbacks, Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, a standout at the position. The string of cases has raised the notion that Adderall has become a drug of fashion in the NFL. A person who serves as an adviser for several players around the league told The Star-Ledger that players use the drug during training camp and the early part of the season to help them study their team’s playbook. For many, their chances of making the team and succeeding in the ultracompetitive NFL depends largely on their capacity to learn the playbook, which can be hundreds of pages thick, densely packed with a series of diagrams that to the untrained eye resembles Rorschach tests. The cases reflect, too, the tricky business of enforcing a drug policy that tries to distinguish between players who take the drug to gain an advantage and those who are treated with Adderall for a chronic condition.

 ESPN.com reported that two Seattle Seahawks defensive backs who were suspended for using the drug have claimed innocence. However, NESN.com quoted one former player who says some players are using Adderall as an excuse for using other performance-enhancing drugs because the NFL cannot disclose what drugs a player was suspended for using in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

What does NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell say about this trend? The Detroit Free Press asked him about it at a football banquet in Detroit on Tuesday night.

“Well, we educate first and then we obviously have a testing program. It’s a substance that we don’t want to see in the game and it’s not good for their long-term health so we’re going to continue to test for it. And if players don’t take it, that’s the best alternative.”

– Bill Bradley, contributing editor