Dextroamphetamine, a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant drug, is the generic name for Dexedrine (GlaxoSmithKline) and Dextrostat (Shire). One may also see it written as D-amphetamine or dexamphetamine.

Amphetamine may take many forms, and D-amphetamine is a dextrorotary (D) stereoisomer of the amphetamine molecule. Dextroamphetamine is a powerful psychostimulant or ''go Pill,'' which produces increased wakefulness, energy, and self-confidence in association with decreased fatigue and appetite. Primarily, dextroamphetamine is used to treat ADHD. Some physicians use it in place of methylphenidate or Ritalin as the first-choice medication for ADHD. It is also used to treat narcolepsy and was one time given as a diet pill for weight control. The U.S. Air Force may give dextroamphetamines to pilots on long missions to help them remain focused and alert. Other branches of the U.S. military have commonly used or dispensed dextroamphetamine to troops to prevent fatigue in combat situations.

In Berlin in 1887, the Romanian chemist Lazar Edeleaou became the first scientist to synthesize amphetamine. It was Smith, Kline, and French (now GlaxoSmithKline), however, that popularized the drug when it introduced the benzedrine inhaler as a treatment for cold symptoms. It was not until 1935 that the medical community realized dextroamphetamine's stimulant properties, prompting Smith, Kline, and French to market Dexedrine tablets beginning in 1937 as a treatment for narcolepsy, attention disorders, and obesity. Though it became readily apparent that the drug could be abused, it was not until 1970, when Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, that they became closely controlled.

Today, these drugs are widely abused on college campuses, particularly as study aids but also for recreational use. Four percent of American college students reported nonprescription stimulant use in 2004, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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