It’s 7:30pm on a Tuesday night. I’m trying to focus on this blog but I’m thinking about other things. I’m thinking about college football. I’m thinking about work. I’m thinking about food (McDonalds). I’m thinking, “Why are my cats laying on one another when they both have their own bed?” I’m thinking about a lot of things but yet I’m trying to write this blog. Focus Scott…FOCUS!
Like many of you, I have a lot of thoughts that go through my mind when I’m trying to focus on a specific task. Yet, why is it when I put my mind to it, I can get back to focusing on the blog entry at hand without any need of a drug? Why is it when other individuals face the same situation, they must rely on prescription drugs to help? Why is it, some of your peers are choosing to abuse prescription for a simple high?
Whether you are aware of it or not, prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in our college communities. According to the 2009 National Collegiate Health Assessment, an annual survey of over 80,000 college students, nearly 13 percent of students reported that they abused prescription drugs, the third most commonly used substances behind alcohol and marijuana. A 2008 study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse looked at over 35 years of drug trends and found college students are twice as likely to abuse prescription stimulants as their peers outside of college. I don’t know about you, but I find these statistics unsettling to read. So…
Why would I do that? Why would I abuse prescription drugs?
For most students, they don’t see a problem with it. Word on the street is that students only use prescription drugs such as Adderall when they need to focus on something very important. Typically, that something important is your classes and the most important time to focus on your classes is when grades matter most which tends to be during exam week.
But Scott, I’m still not understanding why? Why would I want to do that? Well, research suggests that Adderall abuse is a cultural phenomenon. A 2005 report in the journal “Addiction” found connections between a high-stress college environment and Adderall abuse. So, you factor in how stressful exams are along with the additional stresses in your life and the use of Adderall becomes almost warranted.
To make matters worse, most students wouldn’t see anything wrong with offering and/or borrowing a pill to a friend. I mean, why not? It won’t hurt anyone. It’s one pill. The problem lies in the thought that the perceived safety is equal to the risk. Society has conditioned you to perceive pills as not bad. Yet, this contributes to this false sense of safety and security that says, “It’s safe because a doctor gave it to me or a friend of mine.”
What is driving the high prevalence? (Adapted from National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Multiple factors are likely at work:
Misperceptions about their safety. Because these medications are prescribed by doctors, many assume that they are safe to take under any circumstances. This is not the case: prescription drugs act directly or indirectly on the same brain systems affected by illicit drugs; thus their abuse carries substantial addiction liability and can lead to a variety of other adverse health effects.
Increasing environmental availability - Between 1991 and 2010, prescriptions for stimulants increased from 5 million to 45 million, a 9-fold increase, and opioid analgesics increased from about 30 million to 180 million, a 6-fold increase.
Varied motivations for their abuse - Underlying reasons include: to get high; to counter anxiety, pain, or sleep problems; or to enhance cognition (although they may, in fact, impair certain types of cognitive performance). Whatever the motivation, prescription drug abuse comes with serious risks.
Street Smarts:
Hopefully by now, you are recognizing the problem we are facing. However, how do you know when people are talking about prescription drugs? To help, here is some common “street slang” for commonly abused prescription drugs.
Xanax - Xbrs or Xanibars
Vicodin – Vic, hyrdrocodone
OxyContin – Oxy, oxycodone
*Other names you may hear – Skittles, trail mix, pharm party, parachuting, smurf snot, smurf coke, etc.
The Reality:
Abusing prescription drugs can be very dangerous. From 1999 to 2004, the number of young adults aged 15 to 24 who died from unintentional overdose nearly doubled, according to a 2007 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the drugs used, most were prescription painkillers like OxyContin – heroin’s legal equivalent.
Along with depressants like Xanax, stimulants and painkillers make up a trifecta of the most highly abused prescriptions. Adderall and OxyContin are both classified as schedule II narcotics by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), sharing a place alongside cocaine and methamphetamine.
In addition, abusing prescription drugs can harm your body, they can be addictive, and as you can see from above, cause overdose. Specifically, abusing prescription drugs can make breathing difficult, they can change heart rate and blood pressure, they can damage your liver, and they can affect your brain.
The Chart:
I, like you, may be overwhelmed with this information. I try to keep my blogs easy to read but informative. Yet, with a topic this important, sometimes charts are better. So, here is an easy chart to help understand.
| Drug Type | Why Is it Prescribed? | Possible Neg. Effects? | Dangerous to mix with |
| Narcotics Examples: OxyContin, Vicodin | Blocks pain messages. Used to treat moderate to severe pain. | Drowsiness Constipation Breathing problems Death after a single large dose | Alcohol Some over the counter cold & allergy medicines Valium, Xanax and other depressants |
| Depressants Examples: Valium Xanax | Slows down brain activity. Used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders | Drowsiness or confusion Seizures Slowed breathing and heartbeat Can be fatal when mixed with other drugs | Alcohol OxyContin, Vicodin, and other narcotics Some over the counter cold and allergy medicines |
| Stimulants Examples: Dexedrine Ritalin | Speeds up brain activity. Used to treat narcolepsy, ADHD, some forms of depression or obesity and asthma. | Trouble sleeping High body temperature and irregular heart rate Hostility or feelings of paranoia | High blood pressure Some over the counter cold and allergy medicines Antidepressants Some asthma medicines |
Get Help
I am no expert on this topic but I feel it’s an important to ensure you have a basic understanding of the risk involved when you abuse prescription drugs. If you or someone you know is abusing prescription drugs (or any drugs for that matter) seek help. Here are some resources for you to have:
National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.nida.nih.gov/tib/prescription.html
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
Adderall Side Effects: http://adderallsideeffects.org/
Above the Influence: www.abovetheinfluence.com
Your school’s Counseling Center
Your school’s Heath/Wellness Center
Don’t regret not getting help now. It could save you or someone else’s life.
