College Times

Media Credit: BOB DEMAY AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

More young adults are popping pills for recreational and social usage than ever before.

Robyn Elam, an 18-year-old an Arizona State University freshman, is one of many who choose to use prescription drugs. Her drug of choice: Adderall.

Prescribed for patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Adderall is an amphetamine linked to some side effects as severe as hallucinations, seizures, uncontrollable shaking and even death, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Elam says she takes the medication a few times per week to help her study.

According to the United Sates National Library of Medicine, prescription drug abuse among young adults has increased from 5.4 percent in 2002 to 6.4 percent in 2006.

Just on the ASU Tempe campus, multiple students who are currently taking prescription drugs were asked to comment, but declined publicly admitting their involvement.

Kristine Hayes, a licensed substance abuse counselor, said while many people are aware that taking more pills than prescribed is considered abuse, taking any prescription drugs not prescribed to that individual is also abuse.

She says other commonly abused drugs include: painkillers like Percocet and Vicodin, muscle relaxants such as Soma, and benzodiazepines, which include Valium and Xanax.

There are many avenues to obtaining prescription drugs. Hayes says, “Some people will doctor shop. (They) will have more than one doctor prescribe a prescription for pain.” However, Elam stated, “I have some old friends, old connections who work for a doctor’s office.”

Aside from hazardous side effects, there is a high potential for tolerance and addiction.

“If a person has a parent with an addiction, their probability of addiction increases by 25 percent, 50 percent if both parents have addictions,” Hayes says.

Her best suggestion for students abusing prescription drugs is to stop. She recommends not procrastinating, getting more sleep, resisting irresponsible behaviors and sticking with caffeinated and energy drinks.

Even Elam said, “I wouldn’t get into [prescription drugs] if I was a newbie and had never done it before … I know kids who are messing up their lives with drugs and alcohol.”

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