A drug prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is being misused by increasing number of college students, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The drug is prescribed to help people with ADHD to focus.

Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, a professor of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, with his team found that college students are using Adderall to improve their cognitive functions in order to perform well in academics. The drug helps them stay up all night to cram from books.

The researchers found trends for misuse of the drug among teens. They analyzed three national surveys: one on doctor visits, one on drug use and the last on emergency room (ER) visits to know about the use of stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin. According to Mojtabai, non-medically use of Adderall is more common in the youngsters of 18 to 25.

"Many students mistakenly believe these drugs will make them smarter and more efficient at studying, so in their view the risk is worth the reward, and because Adderall can improve focus, it may also give some students an unfair advantage, thus constituting academic dishonesty," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

The researchers claimed that students choose Adderall as it increases level of two chemicals in brain linked with better cognitive functioning and is known to make people smarter. However, there are side effects linked to Adderall, which are anxiety, insomnia or agitation, and if used for long period, it can contribute to aggressive behavior and depression in young children.

The EM visits due to Adderall misuse have increased from 862 in 2006 to 1,489 in 2011, as per the data collected by the Drug Abuse Warning Network. During the same period, 67% increase in nonmedical use of Adderall was reported.