A New York Times story with national scope took a local focus this week, unpacking the use and impacts of study drugs across the country and in Westchester.
Reporter Alan Schwarz speaks with parents, students and health professionals from coast-to-coast about teens' prevalent and illegal use of Adderall—a drug prescribed to battle A.D.H.D.—to study longer and perform better in competitive high school environments.
Schwarz sits down with the Sklars, a family nestled in Ardsley—a village housing a high school that graduates an impressive number of Ivy-bound seniors each year.
Dodi Sklar, the mother of Ardsley High School ninth-grader Jonathan, sounded-off the the rise of yet another parental anxiety.
"As a parent you worry about driving, you worry about drinking, you worry about all kinds of health and mental issues, social issues. Now I have to worry about this, too? Really? This shouldn’t be what they need to do to get where they want to."
Jonathan noted his mother's qualms aren't unfounded, either—several classmates, still years away from SAT and college-application stresses, abuse stimulants to stay on top of their workloads, he said.
The NYT story is sprawling and touches on everything from psychological affects to the trend's catalyst. And Patch wants to know if the culture outlined in the story something that's familiar to your community. Vote in the below poll, and sound-off in the comments.
