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A lesser-known part of the esports industry, according to some pros like ImperialHal and Falloutt, is the abuse of Adderall. ImperialHal sent out a tweet asking when the abuse of Adderall would be banned from esports.
Shooters like Halo, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Call of Duty, require players to be focused and quick thinking to survive and win. This has made many turn to other ways to try and increase their focus.
This was followed by more confirmation from other pros that Adderall abuse was a growing problem.
Esports Pros Call For Adderall Abuse Ban
The issue is that people will abuse anything to try and get ahead until you say someone can’t do it. ImperialHal stated in his tweet that they’re playing for six figures in Apex Legends tournaments, which is a lot of money.
Some people were rightly offended by the way ImperialHal worded his tweet.
ImperialHal clarified that he wasn’t talking about those who need Adderall. Instead, he meant those who don’t need it but use it anyway.
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The merit of the tweet was supported by Falloutt, who now organizes tournaments. Falloutt tweeted that he used to see it too often in Halo esports competitions. That’s a statement from members of two different esports organizations, but it seems to be bigger than that.
What followed was abuse claims in Fortnite, VALORANT, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike. This came from the pros of Fortnite and VALORANT.
Fortnite, Valorant, and Cod Join in on Adderall Abuse Claims
In an interview with Jake Lucky, a Fortnite Pro revealed that while “most players are prescribed it,” many go over their prescribed dosage to get ahead.
This Fortnite pro claimed Adderall abuse happened in Fortnite, VALORANT, and Counter-Strike. Another pro from VALORANT, yung calculator, said that he thought the problem was “100x worse in other games like COD.”
While that is all word of mouth, it comes from those in the tournaments themselves. All of these pros give first-hand accounts of seeing the abuse.
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Can Adderall improve gaming?
We are not medical professionals, so we can’t say. We can present some links and information to help you understand it better.
The Washington Post first broke the stories on the abuse of Adderall back in 2020. There are some people with real conditions that do need Adderall, like ADHD and narcolepsy. It helps those with medical conditions improve attention and focus, and reduces impulsive behaviors.
Drugs being made for a good reason does not keep those with bad intentions from abusing them. Some people think that abusing Adderall will increase their focus.
The idea is similar to the use of steroids for athletes.
Steroids are used to help you with many injuries and conditions, like steroids in some asthma inhalers. However, many athletes have been caught using steroids to give themselves an unearned advantage.
Despite the abuse, some medical professionals claim it’s not as effective as people think. In an article in PC Gamer, a psychiatrist said someone without ADHD taking Adderall is equivalent to someone with 20/20 vision wearing eyeglasses.
The fact is that no research has proven that Adderall improves gameplay. Unfortunately, there aren’t any studies to prove it doesn’t either. Other sports (NFL, NBA, and MLB) have banned its use, as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) claims it has the potential to increase performance.
It’s hard to make a ruling when many people need Adderall. It must be stressed, however, that abuse of any drug can lead to long-term medical complications. In addition to being unwise, increasing dosage against the advice of a medical professional can be deadly.
The safe thing to do is to always listen to your doctor and never try to modify their prescription without talking to them first.