What: "ADDicted" film screening
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: AJ 175
Bringing awareness to Adderall addiction among college students is the focus of the independent film "ADDicted," which was produced by Ball State alumnus Tom Bryan.
Hosted by the Miller College of Business, a free screening event will take place Thursday in the Art and Journalism Building Room 175.
Adderall is commonly used to treat patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and narcolepsy. However, many college students buy Adderall from a friend with a prescription to use for non-medical purposes.
Its popularity among students has led to it being dubbed "the study drug." It enables peak concentration and productivity. It also releases huge amounts of dopamine, the rewarding happy chemical, which makes it highly addictive.
The film follows the plight of Drew Dawson and Ashley Ross, who resort to Adderall in the face of mounting pressures.
The film is executively produced by Bryan, an alumnus of the business college. For the last year, it has been showcased in festivals and won several awards. The screening at Ball State will be the first non-festival screening of the movie.
For filmmaker Dan Jensky, he wanted the film to be a wake-up call for people about the dangers of taking Adderall.
“People do know about [Adderall], but it’s not talked about,” he said. “I kind of want to wake people up and combine everything I’ve seen in my life and put it all together and make a film that will entertain and enlighten.”
Jensky drew from his own experience with Adderall, the first wave of which hit campuses in the early 2000s.
Along with his friends and many other students, he tried it for studying. In 2013, he started a fundraiser on the website Kickstarter for the film. He included in his description the story of the death of Rick and Kathy Fee’s son from an Adderall overdose.
Having come across his page, Kathy Fee reached out to him through email to know more about the film. They corresponded for the next year and a half while the movie was wrapping up.
At this screening event, she and her husband will be sharing their story. A panel discussion will follow the screening.
According to the National Center for Health Research, a national survey of 10,000 students showed 7 percent of students abused Adderall. A study done by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that Adderall abuse is rising among young adults. Data between 2009 and 2011 showed 67 percent of people in the 18-25 age group used Adderall for non-medical purpose and emergency room visits spiked up by 156 percent.
Brenda Davis, the director of development at the business college, has become more aware of the issue of Adderall abuse among young adults.
“Through my connection with our alumnus Tom Bryan, the producer and watching the film, I now have a new perspective that I didn’t have previously,” she said.
Jensky said this screening will feature a new edit on the film that hasn’t been shown before.
The movie will be shown at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
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