Drugs on Campus and ADHD Medication Abuse

College campuses are microcosms of the world around them and as such you can bet that if there is a drug being abused anywhere in the world it will find its way onto a college campus. While alcohol is the “drug of choice” on college campuses, marijuana, meth, cocaine, narcotics and opiates are certainly used and abused on campuses as well. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, illicit drugs are used by almost 24% of 18-25 year olds regularly, with marijuana being the most used drug within this group and prescription painkillers running a close second in use and abuse. Keep in mind that these numbers represent a large sample of 18-25 year olds who may or may not be enrolled in college, but these trends play out on campus over and over.

A frank discussion about drug use and abuse is in order before he starts the fall semester. Don't just talk about the dangers and consequences of drug use, but also discuss your own opinions and feelings about drugs. Parent's opinions actually are important to students and if your child knows you will be disappointed to discover drug use, he's more likely to stay on he straight and narrow. 

*If your child takes prescription drugs for any reason, he needs to be familiar with the warnings and drug interaction information for those prescriptions. Prescription drug reactions and overdoses are just as serious as overdoses of alcohol or illegal drugs.

A Note of Caution About ADHD Medications

Adderall and other ADHD prescription drugs are commonly abused drugs on campuses all over the nation. Students will use the drugs to help them focus in class, study, and absorb more material than they can without the drug. But, with so many students legitimately using the drug with a prescription, it’s hard to tell where normal use ends and abuse begins. 

Even students who have a prescription can abuse the drug and it is also common for students to share or sell their prescriptions with classmates. If your child takes Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse or another ADHA prescription, talk with him about other people trying to steal or buy his medications. Once people know he has it, he may be approached to sell it and may be tempted to start sharing or selling it with others. If he starts selling his pills, a felony drug charge could soon follow.