As finals draw near, college students are beginning to stress about their added workload. Due dates, dead lines, and tests are pushing some students to resort to extremes to stay focused and stave off exhaustion. What has become known as study drugs seem to be a growing trend for students looking for an edge.
These drugs are prescription medications typically given to those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD and ADHD for short). John DiMino the, Director of Tuttleman Counselling Services, told us, “[stimulants] are abuse-able drugs, and some students who haven’t been given the diagnosis might obtain them illegally through other means”. We didn’t have to look far to find these “illegal means”. I spoke with a local dealer of Adderall, a common study drug, to see just how this underground business works.
“I’ll sell my script (prescription) that I’m going to get this Wednesday, I’ll have gone through it, Thursday morning I’ll be out there wont be any left”
Many dealers of study drugs are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and have access to these medications legally. They also obtain them very cheaply through their health care providers which yields them incredible profits. The dealer we spoke to said he can expect “anywhere from 300 dollars for the script to upwards of 600 to 700 dollars on the script especially around midterms and finals”.
Drugs like Adderall are generically sold as Amphetamine Salts which are stimulants that act much like Meth Amphetamine. These drugs are not hard to find, especially for college students. According to the American Psychiatric Association over 5% of children and 2.5% of adults suffer from ADHD. With the increase of diagnosis and medication of these disorders in the past decade, more and more students with ADHD are enrolling in college every year.
John DiMino and the Tuttleman Counseling Office stress the fact that recreationally abusing any prescription medication is not safe, especially if they are not prescribed to you. You are also encouraged to contact the Tuttleman Counseling Office if you are concerned about substance abuse for yourself or a loved one. You can also find more information on ADHD at The American Psychiatric Association website.
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