Looking at the Long-Term Effects of Adderall

Photo of the drug, Adderall XR, 20mg capsules.

Science writer Casey Schwartz discusses her recent piece in The New York Times Magazine, “Generation Adderall.” Adderall is a drug prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder primarily seen in children. Schwartz writes about her own experiences using Adderall, beginning in college and into her early 30s, and the fight to get off the drug. By 2013, she reports that 3.5 million children were on stimulants like Adderall, despite the fact that experts know very little about what Adderall does to the body and mind over years of use. Also joining us is Dr. Harris Stratyner, psychologist, addiction specialist and Vice President of the Caron Treatment Center in Manhattan, and one of the specialists Schwartz interviews in the piece.