Effects of using prescription drugs illegally

ADD

Finals are coming up and we all now how stressful this time is. Countless amounts of studying need to be done and the last few assignments need to be completed. The problem is, there is so much to do and staying focused and on task is extremely hard. Many students resort to taking Adderall, which is supposed to be used for people with ADHD to help them focus and not get distracted all the time. Using adderall illegally can be helpful when studying, but it can also have consequences. Students also find other prescription stimulants that can help them focus. Anything they can find, they will use.

A study was conducted by Laura M. Garnier-Dykstra, M.A., Kimberly M. Caldeira, M.S., Kathryn B. Vincent, M.A., Kevin E. O’Grady, Ph.D.,and Amelia M. Arria, Ph.D. in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. 1,253 college students were assessed from 2004-2009. Each of the participants reported taking an illicit stimulant at least once in high school. There were 49% male participants and 51% female, and 71% of the participants were white (Arria).

During the first year, they completed questionnaires about themselves and had a personal interview to get a better understanding of their use of illicit drugs. Each year within 4 weeks of their original interview in year 1 the students would come back and be interviewed again. The types of things they were assessed on were how much they were exposed to the drugs, their motives behind using the drugs if they used them, how they took the drug (swallowed, snorted, injected, etc.) if they used them, their source of getting the drugs, their GPA, extracurriculars, alcohol use, etc.

The results found that 61.8% of the participants were offered prescription drugs at least once by the end of the fourth year, and 31% of the participants used the drugs (Arria). Studying purposes proved to be the most common use of the drugs and most students got the drugs from their friends. Less than 17% snorted the drugs, and most swallowed them whole (Arria). Lower GPAs and alcohol use were often associated with those who used the prescription drugs (Arria). This begs the question, is it even worth taking these drugs to do better in school if the GPAs were lower than those who did not use the drugs? Although the people who were using the drugs to get high instead of studying could be the ones with the lower GPAs, but that is not stated in the results.

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Prescription stimulant drugs do help students focus more and get more studying done, but there are extreme psychological and physical consequences to using these drugs incorrectly. The symptoms of abusing prescription drugs are insomnia, restlessness, weight loss, agitation and irritability, high blood pressure, impulse behavior, and irregular heartbeats (Mayo Clinic). And the next step is becoming addicted to these drugs. This is a serious problem in our society today and it can have life-long damaging effects.

This study shows that most people use prescription stimulants are using them for a “good reason” which is to get good grades not to get high, but it is still something people need to be cautious of. The results of this study could have been due to third variables, or chance. The best way to get solid results on this topic would be to do a double-blind placebo trial. Randomly give half of the participants prescription drugs and half of them the placebo to se how it effects them. But this does not answer the questions of why people use them. It would in fact tough show the effects it has on the body. This would be unethical unless the participants gave consent and agreed to the trial.

In conclusion, students use drugs for all different reasons, but the use of drug stimulants in college students is constantly rising. From 1993 to 2005, the use of stimulant drugs increased 93% (Clinton Foundation). Every college campus is different, but some colleges have up to 25% of their students using stimulant drugs (Arbor). It is a rising epidemic that needs to be kept on watch.

Sources:

Arria, Amelia. “Non-medical Use of Prescription Stimulants during College: Four-year Trends in Exposure Opportunity, Use, Motives, and Sources.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Prescription Drug Abuse.” Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.

Clinton Foundation. “A Rising Epidemic on College Campuses: Prescription Drug Abuse.” Clinton Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Arbor, Ann. “Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: prevalence and correlates from a national survey.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

4 thoughts on “Effects of using prescription drugs illegally

  1. cmh5996

    Living on a college campus, I hear the word Adderall at least five times a day. People are selling it, taking it and unfortunately abusing it. I think the reason behind people taking it can be drawn to the hype behind the product. If someone uses adderall, he or she might subconsciously tell them self to focus more. Although it does not have a definite placebo effect; it still can have that affect. I have never taken it but have been offered it when I found myself with a week full of work to complete by my peers. Its kind of scary to see the statistics that are presented in this post when it comes to the number of people who abuse this drug. A drug that was once created to help those who truly needed it. In an article talking about the drug abuse behind adderall, health risks are spoken about and a lot of recommendations for safely using this drug are implied. Check it out! http://drugabuse.com/library/the-effects-of-adderall-use/

  2. Caley Mccormick

    I find it very concerning that college students who aren’t prescribed to Adderall take it because students can become dependent on it. Adderall makes you feel alert and focused because of the rush of stimulants releases dopamine, which generates the brain’s reward system. Students need to learn effective study habits than relying on Adderall to save them because the side effects are dangerous. Intense addiction can lead to insomnia, personality changes, irritability, and heart complications.
    http://www.livescience.com/41013-adderall.html

  3. Kaitlin A Kemmerer

    I found this blog very interesting because I have had friends of mine use prescription drugs, specifically Adderall, to get ahead. I noticed that my friends upon taking the drug did not have any significant improvement but found themselves getting towards the addicted side when it came to taking the. I also notice the effects of the drug on their bodies. I found this article from the NY Times I think you might find interesting about “study drugs.” http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/10/education/stimulants-student-voices.html?_r=0

  4. Jon Winneg

    This is a very interesting blog post because I know many students who use prescription drugs like adderall, or vyvanse, to help study and I noticed a sort of dependency on these drugs without results. Many of these kids focus more on these drugs, but not really on their school work, but on unimportant busy tasks that are irrelevant to the initial task they are trying to accomplish. People may enjoy the short term effects of these drugs, but once they crash from the drugs they will probably do worse in their classes the very next day, or when they try to study off the drug because they will feel drowsy, or not focused. I also read an article which talks about the dangers of a dependency on these drugs, and the results are got were scary. Some of these long term effects are anger or mood changes, fevers, chills, seizures and even altered sexual performance. So after reading your blog and doing more research I don’t think that the use of these drugs are worth it. http://statenews.com/article/2013/12/dangers-of-adderall-not-worth-the-grade

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