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Prescription Drug Abuse"In the mid-1990s, we started getting a lot of reports from our field offices, about kids giving, trading, selling, getting caught with crushed tablets at school, distributing on the bus. And these were high school kids." -U.S. Drug Enforcement Pharmacologist, Gretchen Feussner |
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What is going on? |
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Ritalin and Adderall are prescribed drugs to treat people who suffer from attention deficit hyperactive disorder, attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. When taken correctly, these drugs help people remain awake and sustain concentration and energy levels.
Recent studies show that more and more students without ADHD are using the brain-stimulating pills to keep their brain hyper-alert for long bouts of studying. Or, to get high off the drugs.
ADHD drug abusers are generally high school and college students. A 2001 study at the University of Michigan found that about three percent of undergraduates had used Ritalin in the past year without a prescription. A 2002 national survey found that three percent to five percent of students in grades 8, 10 and 12 reported using Ritalin without medical supervision at least once in the past year. |
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Copyright 2004 Stephen Bamonte