College Pressure and the Prescription Drug Abuse Trend

It was finals week at the University of Kansas and Andrea needed a miracle. Like many of her classmates, Andrea, had already pulled a few all nighters to get through a strategic communications project for her Sales Strategies course, a Spanish final and a Child Psychology exam. The only test remaining was a women’s literature final, but as the night slipped away, her energy level began to diminish. “I’ll never be able to stay up late enough to properly prepare for this last exam,” she said, taking a cigarette break outside the library, “I could really use a little help staying up.”

The small orange pill she had stashed in her purse would deliver the miracle she needed. As Andrea popped an Adderall and washed it down with Red Bull she headed back into the library for another night of studying.

At many universities across the country, the course outline for success includes a steady flow of prescription amphetamines normally used in treating attention deficit disorder, prescription painkillers, binge drinking and pharmaceutical anxiety medications used to chill out from collegiate pressure and stress.

Today, the reliance upon prescription medications to enhance performance has risen above the use of other illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin. More college students are abusing Ritalin and Adderall than those who rely upon coffee and energy drinks to stay awake and study.

At colleges, these speedy drugs are sold and given away by individuals with prescriptions. Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta are medications used for treating patients with Attention Deficit Disorder, but can keep a person up and medicated for an entire day. When drugs like these are crushed and snorted, the effect is more intense and can last twice as long.

Some mental health specialists point out the fact that prescription stimulant drug abuse on college campuses can be contributed to demographics. In the 1990’s, thousands of children were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and prescribed prescription drugs like Ritalin and Adderall. Today, hundreds of ADHD kids are entering college and bringing their prescriptions with them.

Delaying the onset of sleep to stay up all night and study or popping a Zani bar at night to chill out from the stressors of the day are problems that catch up with some through the consequences of a full-blown drug addiction. The consequences for college drug abuse and addiction go beyond slipping grades and failed courses.

In the last decade, college student deaths from unintentional prescription drug overdoses have risen 38 percent, and deaths due to alcohol related injuries have nearly doubled.

It’s not uncommon for parents to inadvertently enable alcohol and drug abuse behavior. Students are known to fund their drug abuse by their large college fund allowances. Schools assist in college drug abuse by selling alcoholic beverages at sporting events and near college campuses. Some fraternity and sorority parties encourage binge drinking and drug abuse.

If your son or daughter is in college and struggling with drug abuse or they are about to go away to college, our sober program can help.

You are likely acquiring a large bill for your son or daughter’s education. Why not make sure your investment isn’t funding college drug abuse more than academic and personal success?