Stimulant Abuse Among College Students a Concern

For students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (such as Ritalin) improve concentration, allowing them to pay attention in class and focus better during study time. But many undergraduate students who don't have ADHD may be abusing the drug and taking methylphenidate without a prescription, with the hope of staying awake and losing weight, say researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

At a private liberal arts college in New England, researchers anonymously surveyed 347 undergraduate students about whether they'd ever been diagnosed with ADHD or thought they had it. The students also answered questions about whether they'd ever tried to get a prescription for ADHD medication and whether they had friends or acquaintances who'd tried to get a prescription for ADHD medicines, even if they didn't have the condition. Students also reported whether they knew of people selling ADHD drugs to other students.

About 9% of the students reported taking stimulants that weren't prescribed for them by a doctor, and a majority — almost 72% — said they knew of fellow students who had used nonprescribed stimulants. Additionally, 44% knew of peers who'd visited a doctor to get a prescription for ADHD medicine even though they didn't have the condition, while 53% said they knew someone who sold ADHD medicines to students.

In the survey, the students who used nonprescribed stimulants said they thought the drugs could help a person study longer and better, stay awake, and lose weight.

What This Means to You. Misuse of ADHD stimulant drugs may be a common practice on college campuses, but it's a dangerous one. People who misuse Ritalin or other ADHD medications may experience increased heart rate and blood pressure, uncontrollable shaking, mood changes, delusions, hallucinations, and breathing problems. If your child has been prescribed methylphenidate for ADHD, make sure he or she is taking the medicine as prescribed and knows that sharing prescription medicines with friends or schoolmates is dangerous and illegal.

Source: Bronwen C. Carroll, MD; Thomas J. McLaughlin, ScD; Diane R. Blake, MD; Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, May 2006.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: June 2006