The Dangers Of Fake Adderall Pills In Ohio

Adderall (amphetamine) is a prescription medication that treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It’s widely abused, particularly on college campuses.

In May 2022, Columbus public health issued a safety message about Adderall laced with fentanyl after the breaking news that two Ohio State University (OSU) students died from taking the drug. 

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can easily cause overdose, especially if you don’t know it’s in your Adderall. 

Fake Adderall pills can contain other harmful substances that cause health problems or overdose. Adderall abuse can lead to addiction, a mental disease that requires treatment.

What Does Real Adderall Look Like?

Adderall comes in two forms: an immediate-release (IR) tablet and an extended-release (XR) capsule. 

Adderall IR tablets may be white, blue, or orange and have a round or oval shape. They may say “AD” or “dp” on one side and have a number on the other that indicates how many milligrams it is (“15,” “20,” “30,” etc.). They have a groove down the middle of the side with the number.

Adderall XR capsules are blue, orange, blue-and-white, or orange-and-white. The capsules are full of orange beads that break down slowly in your body. They say “Adderall XR” on the large part of the capsule and the milligrams on the small part (“20 mg,” “30 mg,” etc.).

What Does Fake Adderall Look Like?

Many people who abuse Adderall get the pills from registered pharmacies. They may get a legitimate prescription by faking ADHD symptoms or buy it from a friend with extra pills. But if you buy it on the street, there’s no guarantee it’s real. 

Fake Adderall looks like real Adderall, but there are a few ways to tell if you have counterfeit Adderall pills:

• Texture: the tablets are more crumbly, firmer, smoother, or rougher than authentic Adderall
• Stamp: the name and number are off-centered, crooked, deeper, or shallower
• Taste: it’s more bitter, less bitter, or has a different flavor
• Strength: it doesn’t work as well as pills you’ve gotten from a pharmacy, or it’s much more potent

Street drug manufacturers can make Adderall on home pill presses, which aren’t as accurate as professional-grade pill presses used by pharmaceutical companies. They may use cutting agents such as baby laxatives, laundry soap, or other drugs like fentanyl to stretch their supply.

The Dangers Of Fake Adderall Pills In Ohio

The greatest danger of fake Adderall pills in Ohio is that they’re popping up all over with fentanyl in them. Fentanyl is responsible for most opioid overdose deaths in the last decade. 

Often, people take fentanyl without knowing it because it’s in their Adderall, cocaine, methamphetamine, or another drug of abuse. It’s hard to prevent or treat a drug overdose when you don’t know what you took.

While OSU discourages drug abuse, officials encourage students who are going to try drugs anyway to use fentanyl test strips and carry naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal agent.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched the social media campaign “One Pill Can Kill” in 2021 to raise awareness about fake pills containing deadly drugs.

If you get Adderall in Ohio that isn’t cut with fentanyl, it may still contain toxins or other drugs that irritate your body and raise the risk of overdose. 

Adderall & Fentanyl Overdose Risk

The combination of fentanyl and Adderall (amphetamine) can make it difficult to tell when you’re taking too much. 

One is a central nervous system stimulant; the other is a depressant. Adderall gives you energy, and fentanyl slows you down. Fentanyl can cause Adderall to be less effective, making you take more and get a lethal dose.

A fentanyl overdose causes severe respiratory depression that can stop your breathing or slow it down dangerously. It can lead to loss of consciousness, coma, and death.

Adderall Abuse In Ohio

Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance because it’s widely abused and addictive. The drug increases your ability to concentrate and stay awake. Some Ohio college students and young professionals use it to focus on studying or big projects.

A 2019 study showed that almost 8.5 percent of Ohio college students use Adderall without a prescription. It’s the most popular prescription stimulant abused in Ohio, followed by drugs like Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine).

Ohio Adderall Treatment Options

If you or a loved one is abusing Adderall, don’t wait to ask for help. Ohio has many addiction treatment centers that provide comprehensive care for Adderall abuse and addiction. 

At Ohio Recovery Center we offer inpatient rehab programs that are tailored to your needs. Before you begin treatment, you’ll work with a therapist to create an appropriate treatment plan. 

The most effective recovery programs use a blend of evidence-based therapies to treat the whole problem of addiction.

Proven therapies for Adderall addiction include:

• cognitive-behavioral therapy
• dialectical behavior therapy
• motivational interviewing
• support groups
• art therapy
• yoga
• meditation

Speak with an Ohio Recovery Center treatment specialist to learn more and start your recovery today.