The Abuse of Psycho-Stimulants on College Campuses Essay

Today on college campuses, it is not possible to make it through college without knowing someone who has at least tried a prescription drug or recreational drug for either party uses, to help them study and keep up in school, or simply to help them get by day-to-day. Maybe you have tried them yourself? College students all across the nation are abusing substances such as Adderall, Vicodin, Oxycontin, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. Those students who drink alcohol are more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical uses than non-drinkers.

Nearly five years ago, Kyle Craig, a well-rounded and bright student at Vanderbilt University, took his life at the young age of 21. Kyle was described to be a “confident, but not arrogant” young man. He had a solid 3.5 grade point average and was extremely active in his fraternity. His parents said he was, “…a thrill a minute, focused, happy, achieving and social” (James). Kyle, in short, seemed to have it all together. What no one knew is that Kyle illegally looked to Adderall to keep up his “I’ve got it all together” act. Adderall is a stimulant prescription drug for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD (FDA). Kyle took Adderall illegally and abused it much too often just to perform better academically and socially. While abusing the drug, Kyle slowly began spiraling into a dangerous state of psychosis that no one seemed to catch on to. That dangerous spiral led Kyle all the way in front of a train, taking his own life (James). Kyle is not the only young college student to suffer from the effects of stimulant or amphetamine drugs like Adderall. Almost 1,000 cases of psychosis were found to be linked to medications such as Adderall or Ritalin between the years 2000 and 2005 (FDA). Stimulant and Amphetamines are also known to heighten or produce suicidal and depressive thoughts (FDA). With all of these unsettling facts, 1 in 5 college students abuse these drugs and use them as study aids (CBN News). For the last

Results: Prevalence of Adderall abuse among college students affects approximately 96 universities. College view it as a socially acceptable drug that can further enhance their academic performance.

to question if the ban on “study drugs” is really the answer to the problem. It discusses how some believe study drugs to be “cheating,” in school, similar to how its not fair to take steroids in sports. (summary) This article is helpful to me because it gives a different look into adderall and what all it is made up to be. (relevance)

Examining the prevalence of stimulant misuse and abuse among college students is crucial to understand how widespread this growing problem is. Understanding the extent of stimulant misuse can lead to better education among college students about the dangers of illicit stimulant use and the potential risks and side effects. In studies done at the University of Michigan and the University of Rhode Island, it was found that many students had used prescription stimulants illegally at one point or another in their lifetime, and found access to drugs such as Adderall very easy to obtain. Many students cited motives for using these drugs illegally, such as using it for a good cause, such as improving grades, and that it was okay because the

In a 2009 study performed by members of the Department of Psychology at the University of Albany, it was recorded that the past-year prevalence rates of stimulant prescription misuse for individual colleges within the United States ranged up to 25% (Looby). This is a remarkable statistic because up to a quarter of a school’s population is a large representation of students. These individuals find it appropriate to improve brain functionality through the use of Adderall. This is ironic because these students are choosing to illegally obtain Adderall in order to better their school lives. If this many individuals are using non-prescription Adderall to enhance their ability to perform, then the legalization of over the counter use should be considered because students feel obligated to take the drug in order succeed inside the classroom. Based on our culture as hardworking Americans, students should be commended for their desire to have an edge over their competition. It seems ludicrous to penalize students who want to be more academically driven and do so by not hurting anyone. In schools located in the northeastern region of the United States, the highest percentage of students illegally obtaining stimulants, such as Adderall, sky rockets to 35% (Looby). This many students participating in

After stimulants, pain medications were the most misused prescription medications, which was used by 10 percent of undergraduates. About a third of students said it was easy to obtain pain medications too. About 9 percent of undergrads used sedatives, with 44 percent saying it was easy to find them on campus. "At one time, college students most commonly misused drugs to get high," Hale said. "But today, students also use medications to self-medicate, to manage their lives. They are using drugs to control pain, to go to sleep, to relieve anxiety and to study." 55 percent of students who misused pain medications said they did it to relieve pain, while 46 percent said they did it to get high. More than half who misused sedatives said their aim was to get to sleep, while 85 percent who misused stimulants wanted to improve grades or studying. Marijuana was the most common drug replacing prescription medications, used by half of undergrads who misused controlled drugs, followed by cocaine and hallucinogens at 19 percent. “Nearly two percent had used heroin, which is very concerning,” Hale said. "There's been a lot of media attention given to the recent rise in heroin use and for good reason," he

This may seem like an okay thing, right? In today’s society, everyone pressuring students to be the top of the top, so why not have a little help? Adderall, an amphetamine, can become highly addictive and the side effects even worse. From hallucinations to muscle weakness, aggressiveness to uneven heartbeats, seizures, or comas, are just a few of the side effects of what happens when someone overdoses on Adderall. Amphetamines and methamphetamines, both used to treat people with ADD, ADHD, or narcolepsy, students have recently admitted to using these types of drugs to help them stay up later, get more work down, and concentrate better. The reason why Robbins includes this information in her book is to give an insight how competitive the school

An important, and often overlooked issue that school administrators face is the widespread use of pharmaceutical drugs to address mental health problems. Statistics show that prescription of mental health drugs has been on an upward trend. In 2001, thirty-nine out of a thousand children were using antipsychotics (Harris, Sorbero, Kogan, Schuster, & Stein, 2012, p. 1). While these drugs may have a short-term positive impact, this tactic is not effective long-term due to the side effects and the potential for abuse of these drugs. According to Compton and Volkow, “prescription drug misuse was second, after marijuana, in terms of prevalence among the illicit substances among 12th graders”. They further state that utilization of pharmaceuticals

Individuals could argue that the majority of students that enter their freshman year of college are eighteen years or older, and as an adult they should be able to use cognitive-enhancing drugs as “smart drugs” at their own risk. Consuming these drugs without a prescription may be detrimental to these students’ health in the future, but supporters believe that this should be the only consequence that they should suffer. Considering that this drug can improve an individual’s academic performance unnaturally, they are committing academic dishonesty because they are succeeding as a result of drugs they should not be

p. 223). No matter the reason why students are misusing the stimulants, it should not happen. The medication is for people who really need it, not just want it. The way these students are able to get away with this misuse of stimulant can lead to serious consequences. Stimulants should only be used to treat ADHD behavior and college students who just want to enhance their cognitive skills do not need stimulants. It is disgusting how these students use the stimulants for various reasons such as losing weight, enhancing their cognitive skills or for any other reason, other than the purpose that was intended to be used

It is commonly known that alcohol is currently the most abused drug on college campuses. Colleges today are trying to limit the amount of alcohol consumed by students as well as the use of drugs here at King’s College. I attended the meeting that discussed drugs and alcohol on college campuses. Here we talked about some of the effects that come with the consumption of these products.

This report comprises data summary and analysis of the students by gender who participated in binge drinking, those who abused prescription medication, and used illegal or illicit

What students aren’t familiar with is the consequences are for being caught with these “study pills”. Being caught with one of these is a felony and being caught with two or more is a felony and intent to sell.

“Asked if the improper use of stimulants was cheating, students were split. Some considered that the extra studying hours and the heightened focus during exams amounted to an unfair advantage. Many countered that the drugs “don’t give you the answers” and defended their use as a personal choice for test preparation, akin to tutoring.” (Schwarz)