U Weekly. Serving The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio

Playing with prescriptions

By Ida Seitter

The common campus drug dealers are not lurking in the shadows of an alley, and their customers are not shamefully sneaking their hit. Instead, the emergence of Adderall drug dealings has turned libraries into places of transaction, where the pills are handed out like study guides.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, the deliberate abuse of prescription drugs such as Adderall is at an all-time high. According to Kenneth Hale, assistant dean of the Pharmacy Department at OSU, SAMHS research concludes that abuse of prescription drugs, "now exceeds that for all 'illicit' drugs combined, except marijuana."

Adderall is prescribed primarily for treating Attention-Deficit Disorder. But, it is also used for non-medical purposes-to stay awake, to stay focused, to curb appetite, or to simply feel high.

Adderall is becoming a drug of choice among college students, a trend that is creating a new type of drug dealer and new consequences of drug abuse.

In order to get Adderall, you don't have to go to the scary guy on the corner, or even to the stoner down the street. Students get their hits off fellow classmates; siblings dip into a family member's prescription.

"The biggest drug problems occur not on the street but in the medicine cabinet," Hale said.

Because Adderall is prescribed to a diverse demographic, almost anyone could be dealing it. And with costs per pill averaging a few dollars, almost anyone can afford to buy it.

Sasha*, a senior at Columbus College of Art and Design, said she collects her Adderall from a friend who benefits more from the pills' marketability than their medicinal effect. "My friend has a prescription that she doesn't really use," Sasha said. "But if I did pay, it would only be a dollar or two."

For those who obtain Adderall legally at the pharmacy, selling the pills for a few dollars can add up when the entire bottle is distributed to others.

The relationship between the dealer and the dealt-to can be almost harmonious. Often, those not prescribed Adderall want the medication more than those diagnosed with ADD.

According to WebMd, "People with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder rarely abuse their medication, and don't like feeling over-stimulated from too high of a dose any more than they enjoy the jitteriness from too much caffeine."

Meanwhile, others are snorting it.

David*, a Columbus State student, is one such person. "I usually work late on the weekends and after I get off I want to party, but I'm tired," he said. "[Snorting Adderall] makes me feel awake-sometimes jittery-but overall, it works."

Using the drug to increase partying stamina is one way Adderall "works." The more traditional appeal of using un-prescribed Adderall is to compensate for student procrastination.

Josh* is an OSU student diagnosed with ADD who sells his medication to his friends fraught with academic desperation before big projects are due. Yet, Josh doesn't give all his medication away; he sang the virtues of this drug, as it's properly prescribed.

"I really sucked in high school. I graduated with, like, a 1.9 [grade point average]." After being diagnosed with ADD and taking Adderall, his grades improved. "My first quarter at OSU, I got a 3.7 [GPA], so I guess it works."

Yet Adderall is not all fun and good grades.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, people tend to perceive prescription drugs as safe, even if the drugs were not prescribed to them.

An FDA study revealed that 40 percent of people surveyed thought prescription drugs are safer than 'street' drugs, and 29 percent don't believe these drugs are addictive.

This is not true, as abusing controlled substances can have serious consequences. These risks go up, especially if you are mixing it with other drugs, or alcohol.

One risk is, of course, is your health.

According to research by the American Medical Association, accidental death by way of mixing prescription drugs with alcohol or street drugs is three times higher than ever. Hale added that accidental prescription drug poisoning is the second leading cause of death in the United States.

Even straight Adderall can come with side effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most common problems include an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and interrupted sleep patterns. Also, high doses can lead to severe cardiovascular complications, including stroke and can lead to addiction.

Another serious consequence is that of liability. According to the Ohio Revised Code, selling or using a controlled substance without a prescription is a felony. The consequence varies from jail time to heavy fines. Dealers risk giving people drugs that do not comply with that person's medical history and could consequently compromise their health. If something happens to the person receiving someone else's prescription, the dealer is legally liable.

Lily*, like many students, "never thought about it that way. Adderall just doesn't seem that dangerous."

Lastly, abusing Adderall can cause psychological dependency problems. According to Hale, people who take Adderall are "over compensating for not being prepared." Taking an Adderall and studying for 10 hours is not going to change that. Going to college is a learning experience, where you learn to manage your time."

"Are you going to be a 40-year-old professional, popping Adderall just to get by?" Hale asked.

Meika Loe's article, "The Prescription of a New Generation," declares that because our culture is so concerned with the "quick fix," many students are just "pharming to get by." In other words, they are not learning the vital time-management skills that they will need for their professional lives.

It is important to note that Adderall is not all bad. For the people to which it is prescribed, like Josh, it can change lives for the better.

For others, good old-fashioned studying goes a long way. According to Hale, early results from a study done at OSU indicate that there may actually be a negative correlation between students who take non-prescribed Adderall and overall grade point average. Also, according to a recent University of Michigan study, college students perceived that about 30 percent of students use Adderall, while the actual use is much lower, at 7 percent.

Even when Adderall seems to travel straight from the pharmacy to the libraries, prescription pills are not safe for everyone. It's the beginning of a new term, so start studying now to prevent frantic pill popping later.

*Names have been changed

Originally Published: April 8, 2009

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