For college students who need more than a cup of coffee to make it through finals, swallowing an Adderall or Ritalin may be the more appealing choice, according to studies indicating that prescription stimulant drug abuse is on the rise among college students.
The 18 to 25 year old age group is currently the highest at risk for abusing the prescription stimulants. Although the percentage of college students who report stimulant medication abuse is relatively low (estimated at 4 percent of college respondents in 2001 by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study), research indicates the percentage is growing, and may be an underreported statistic.
Sherri Darrow, director of wellness education services for Social and Preventive Medicine, said that prescription drug abuse is small at UB, but the national growing trend calls for the issue to be dealt with preemptively.
"It is an emerging issue, one we do have to be more proactive about," Darrow said.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that trends of prescription stimulant abuse are highest among colleges in the Northeast. White fraternal members, and students earning GPAs below B are at great risk for abusing prescription drugs. The study indicates that more selective a college, the higher stimulant abuse rates.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Dec.15, 2004, a survey of 381 students at the University of Wisconsin indicated that 44 percent of students knew a person who used stimulant prescription medication illegally.
Ashley Brown, whose name has been changed for confidentially, believes that prescription stimulants on campus can be found if you go looking for them.
"I know a few people who take Adderall to study for a test," Brown said. "It's popular because it makes studying fly by when you have to study all night."
For the student attracted to the idea of increased concentration, especially in competitive academic scenes, popping a pill can equate to a lengthier study session, and perhaps a coveted 4.0 grade point average, she said.
"Adderall is pretty easy to get. People joke about needing it for final exams and say they want it, but not everyone takes it," Brown said.
According to Daniel Duryea, graduate assistant in UB's Wellness Education Services, the majority of students who illegally acquire stimulant pills are doing so to be more productive.
"Essentially, the use of prescription stimulants for non-medical purposes by college students starts for practical reasons like studying and not used as a recreational substance," Duryea said. "It's used like coffee, not like marijuana."
Stimulants including dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta) are medically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy by increasing specific amounts of chemicals in the brain and peripheral nervous systems.
Risks associated with misusing stimulant prescriptions can include elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, insomnia, and potential addiction. High doses of stimulants may cause dangerous increases in body temperature, irregular heart rhythms, heart attack, and even fatal seizures.
Intended effects of stimulant medications, such as Adderall or Ritalin, are improved brain activity, decreased distractibility, better impulse control, and increased alertness and energy.
"People think, 'Oh it's just going to make me not sleep,' but instead, it can make you irritable, nervous, insomniac," Duryea said. "Those things are not going to help your overall performance and not going to make a superman out of anyone."
Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta stimulants are classified as Schedule II drugs by the Controlled Substances Act, meaning they have a high potential for abuse.
"Unlike coffee, these drugs can be very addictive and change brain chemistry, and cause you to want or need more to get the same effect," Duryea said.
Duryea believes that the chance that all students are going to become addicts is low, but students should be aware of the effect.
"Addiction is a small, but college students are not immune to it," Duryea said.
Stimulant medications are often viewed as safer than their illicit drug counterparts because they are controlled substances, regulated and doled out by physicians.
Increases in direct consumer marketing by pharmaceutical companies promising "a pill for every ill" help contribute to the perceived image of safety, by saturating commercials and advertisements with images of prescription medications, Duryea said.
"The media sends a message of 'take a pill and it will do everything,'" he said.
Prescription medications prescribed by physicians have drastically increased over recent years and the diagnosis of attention disorders has seen a similar steady climb.
"Increases in medication availability are part of the issue," Duryea said. "There is better diagnosis, and a lot of students are therefore coming to college on medication already."
According to a 2001 National Household Survey on drug abuse by the Substances Abuse and Mental Health services Administration Center, more than 19 million ADHD prescriptions were filled in 2000, a staggering increase of 72 percent since 1995.
"Taking a prescription drug and using it illegally is doing things with your eyes closed to the dangers," Duryea said. "You can't compensate for not studying all along by taking a magic pill."
