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Study Drugs

What are study drugs? Why would a student use study drugs?

Study drugs are drugs that are abused as study aids. Some students use these medications because they believe these drugs increase their concentration and stamina, helping them study and perform. In regards to prescription medications, drug use becomes abuse whenever it is used for anything other than its intended purpose, by someone other than the intended recipient, or in a dosage other than prescribed.

What drugs are commonly abused as study drugs?

Often, study drugs stimulants that can be obtained by a prescription. These drugs are prescribed for narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression that does not respond to other treatments. Some of these include dextroamphetamine (which includes Adderall and Dexedrine) and methylphenidate (which includes Concerta and Ritalin).

How do these drugs affect the brain and the body?

Stimulant drugs have chemical structures similar to brain neurotransmitters. They enhance the effects of certain chemicals in the brain, increasing blood pressure, blood glucose and heart rate, constricting blood vessels, and opening up the pathways of the respiratory system. Users may also perceive an increase in alertness, attention, and energy.

What are the short-term side effects of using these drugs?

Every drug has a different set of short-term effects. Common side effects associated with prescription stimulants include elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased respiration, suppressed appetite and/or sleep deprivation.

However, it is advisable to seek a doctor immediately if one experiences the following symptoms (even if the user has taken the proper dosage of a drug prescribed to them):

  • an allergic reaction (characterized by difficult breathing, closing of the throat, hives, or swelling of the lips, tongue or face)
  • chest pains or an irregular heartbeat
  • unusual behavior or confusion
  • a very high blood pressure (characterized by blurred vision, severe headache or flushing)

What are potential negative consequences from using study drugs?

All drugs, including medications, change body chemistry. Medications, particularly prescription medications, are tailored to an individual using calculations based on their age, height, weight, current ailment, past medical history, and other drugs currently used. Because different doses of drugs will affect people in different ways, there could be negative consequences from abusing these drugs.

It is possible for people to become physically and psychologically dependent upon or addicted to these stimulants. Users may experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop using the drugs after several weeks of repeated use.

Other potential consequences include: feelings of hostility or paranoia after repeated use, dangerously high body temperature, irregular heartbeat, cardiovascular failure or lethal seizures.

How many people use study drugs?

The exact number of people who abuse prescription stimulants as study aids is unknown. However, in its 2005 report, the International Narcotics Control Board states that one out of 10 American teenagers has used prescription stimulants (Ritalin and/or Adderall) without a doctor's prescription. In addition, according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 6 percent of Americans age 18-25 abuse prescription medications for nonmedical use. Prescription drugs are now the second largest group of drugs abused in the United States, after cannabis.

What about people who use their medications as prescribed by a doctor?

While some may abuse these drugs, many people who use these drugs as prescribed by a doctor can find them helpful. However, others looking for a 'study drug' may approach the person looking to abuse his/her drugs. Some tips for responding to this situation include:

  • A person could keep drugs in a safe, private spot where only the intended user can access them.
  • A person could explain that he/she wants to avoid anyone's possible allergic reaction to a medication not prescribed for him or her.
  • A person could explain that he/she does not have enough to share.
  • A person could even claim that he/she stopped taking the prescription.

Information gathered from the following sources: