Ashton, S. Jeramy (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Mizell, Karen (Utah Valley University; Philosophy, Ethics)
A desire to maintain attention, a crave for focus, a potential escape from reality, these are some of the potential reasons that a person would recreationally take a stimulant.
A stimulant substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body. Stimulants such as Adderall have been studied for years as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the stimulant in 1996. The drug has seen an enormous amount of popularity among prescribers, patients and the general public. Studies on the drug continue to examine levels of effectiveness, possibility of dependency, recreational use and the typical benefit to harm ratios.
Empirical data shows that individuals among the college cohort make up the highest number of recreational stimulant users. Using data from across the county and comparing such findings to Bioethical principles (more specifically, the four parts of principalism), I will first examine the benefits and harms of the recreational use of stimulants (such as dependency, classism, social and academic advancements) and then, with that gathered reasoning, argue against the recreational use of stimulants among the college cohort.