President Joe Biden, like all Democrats, has constantly courted the college vote, but a new nationwide shortage could threaten that secured voting bloc — or at the very least force young Americans to pay more for a certain educational enhancer. Per the Food and Drug Administration, America is officially experiencing a shortage of Adderall.
Adderall, a prescription drug meant to treat certain medical ailments, is notorious for being illicitly used on university campuses around the country. According to one Ohio State University, “nearly one in six college students now say they’ve used stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, or Dexedrine–drugs” that are normally prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)–without a prescription.”
Since those drugs increase focus, many feel Adderall and similar pills help them complete papers or study without distraction. Anecdotally, the drug can often range from $5.00 – $7.00 per pill when traded on the black college dorm market, according to Psycom.net. Based on the simple Econ. 101 lesson on supply and demand, that cost could soon skyrocket.
This week, the FDA announced a “shortage of the immediate release formulation of amphetamine mixed salts, commonly referred to by the brand name Adderall or Adderall IR.” For those who actually rely on the drug due to ADHD or another ailment, it could be a disaster. For those pursuing higher education who abuse the drug, it could spell disaster for their GPA.
According to the agency, one of the top companies behind such drugs, Teva, “is experiencing ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays. Other manufacturers continue to produce amphetamine mixed salts, but there is not sufficient supply to continue to meet U.S. market demand through those producers.”
This is not the first shortage of a critical need in recent months. The baby formula crisis is still ongoing, and nations from around the world have been air shipping in pallets of the product for struggling Americans. Somehow, the president considers depending on the rest of the world for basic items like food for newborns to be a success.
Yet college students are a bit insulated from real-world problems in their academic bubble surrounded by leftist professors. Biden’s economic policies have created anxiety for millions of Americans, but it isn’t unreasonable to assume those effects aren’t felt quite as much on a college campus.
The lack of ADHD prescriptions was caused by policies during the COVID pandemic that exacerbated supply chain woes. According to some reports, the Adderall shortage has been brewing for several months — and the Biden administration has been unable to solve the issue.
Because of Biden’s inability to handle this kind of emergency, the Adderall shortage could actually affect that portion of the Democratic base.
According to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts University, 66% of eligible college students voted in the 2020 presidential election. Of young Americans aged 18 – 29, 61% voted for Biden. If any of those current or former undergrads had a tendency to get “addied out” — the term for being in the zone on Adderall — they could soon be paying the price for that vote — literally.
Of course, college-aged kids tend to have short memories and are easily distracted when it comes to politics. That is not due to any ADHD diagnosis, it’s just because they’re young know-it-alls indoctrinated by the Left.
If high gas prices and inflation haven’t caused them to reconsider their support for liberalism, then it is doubtful the youth vote will change party affiliation based on this latest calamity, but it sure will affect those who rely on Adderall to make it to graduation.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
