Coffee may become addicting during finals, but for some students, that’s not enough.
Prescription drugs, such as Adderall, a medication used to treat ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is often abused by college students to increase alertness and energy.
According to a nationwide survey reported in the journal “Addiction,” as many as one in four college students abuse medication for ADHD.
Two cases of drug overdose have been reported already this semester to Security.
Safety Office Supervisor Chris Loos said he couldn’t give specifics, but the instances were prescription drug overdoses.
“It doesn’t happen a lot but time to time we get that phone call,” Loos said. “Students have bad days and that’s how some of them deal with it.”
Campus Counselor Myron Parsley said he didn’t have to report students abusing prescription drugs unless they’re in immediate danger.
Parsley said on occasion students have come in with prescription drug abuse.
“I run into a little bit of pain medicine abuse but very few cases of Adderall or Ritalin abuse,” Parsley said. “I haven’t had anyone come in with that being their only issue.”
Several students, who chose to remain anonymous, said taking ADHD medications, such as Adderall, helped them stay awake to focus while studying.
“It makes me more focused,” said an anonymous source. “I’m always doing something and I don’t stop until I get it completely done. I focus on one thing, get it done then I move onto the next thing. I’m not jumping all around.”
Freshman Casondra Kleven said she didn’t think prescription drug abuse was a big problem on campus, but she knew it happened.
“I know students who use it for their ADHD,” Kleven said, “but I also know students who abuse it for recreational use.”
As finals week approaches, Adderall abuse can become more frequent.
“I think the week before finals and during finals Adderall abuse will happen a lot so students can study, get more done and deal with their stress," Kleven said.
Another student, who also chose to remain anonymous, agreed that finals week added extra pressure to abuse the drug.
“I’ll be using it most during the next two weeks then I do during the rest of the semester,” said the student. “I use it around stressful times to get a lot done, in a short amount of time, without sleeping much.”
Loos said security would only know about the drug abuse if it was reported, but they would work to get the student help.
Students can contact Parsley at 826-6719 for counseling or questions about drug abuse.
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