Athletes have steroids. Ravers have ecstasy. And now, more than ever, students have Adderall.

The stimulant drug Adderall, considered “a baby brother of speed,” belongs to the amphetamine family. It’s commonly prescribed to those with sleeping disorders or ADHD, to help focus the brain. But since its introduction to the market in the mid ‘90s, many have come to know it more as a “study pill.”

“I went to the doctor and I told him I had a little trouble focusing in class,” said Chase, a 21-year-old City College student who wishes to keep his last name anonymous.

“So the doctor recommended Adderall. It’s not exactly a diagnosis.”

Chase took Adderall for the first time his freshman year in college. Back then, he didn’t have his own prescription and  would buy a single pill for $5 to $10.

Now, with help from his insurance, the pills are just about $1 a piece.

“It’s actually pretty common around colleges,” he said. “It seems like there’s always some kid you can get it from.”

And studies have shown the same conclusion.

From 2006 to 2007, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted a study of 28,027 people between the ages of 18 and 22, to investigate college students’ habits of non-medical use of Adderall.

The study showed that 6.4 percent of students nationwide used the drug, compared to 3 percent of adolescents who are not full-time students.

Another study, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, shows that 13.5 percent out of 1,253 students at a mid-Atlantic university had used stimulants for non-medical reasons.

Out of those, only 45 were diagnosed with ADHD, and one-third of those said they overused their prescription or got additional pills from somewhere else.

Both studies also showed a remarkably higher usage of illegal drugs among those who used Adderall for non-medical purposes: the number was around eight times higher for cocaine, ecstasy and LSD.

A classroom poll at City College shows that 18 out of 35 students had tried Adderall or other stimulants, and seven of those said they used it at least once a month as a study aid.

Josh Obers, 23, was prescribed Adderall to better focus on his academics. But a few months into the treatment he insisted on ending it.

“It worked. I did a lot better academically, but I wasn’t socially the same,” he said. “I didn’t have the same personality; I wasn’t fun to be around. I was like a zombie I guess.”

Adderall and other amphetamines are made to speed up systems in the body. It can be used to “produce a sense of exhilaration, enhance self-esteem, improve mental and physical performance, increase activity, reduce appetite, extend wakefulness for prolonged periods and to ‘get high’,” according to a governmental fact sheet.

Psychology Professor Arthur Olguin has seen a tremendous amount of research on Adderall and other stimulants. According to these studies, there is no doubt these drugs can have an impact on someone’s personality.

“In addition to having sleeping deficit,” he said, “it can lead to increased anxiety, paranoia, hostile emotions, and manic kinds of symptoms.

Individuals who are dependent, they often times become lethargic. It’s part of that crash. They become unmotivated.”

The reason for this, Olguin said, is that the drug “bombards the brain with dopamine,” which can create a euphoric sensation.

However, if used too much, a person may become resistant to the effects and the brain could lose its ability to produce normal amounts of dopamine, leading to chronic depression.

Despite the attested mood swings, the likelihood for addiction and a warning text including “high potential for abuse,” and “may cause sudden death,” Adderall users are adding up.

“There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people diagnosed with ADHD in the last couple of years,” Olguin said. “Whether or not they have ADHD they may get the prescriptions and then they misuse the drug… and it gets diverted into a black market.”

It is, to say the least, a controversial issue. Stimulant drugs provide enhancement, but can also have a devastating impact on the brain.

“Is it good or bad? Should we use it if there are positive effects?” Olguin said. “That’s more of a value issue.”