Goodbye Starbucks, hello Ritalin

Would you rather drink a pot of coffee or pop a tiny pill?

Are you a big fan of rereading the same page over and over
again, not absorbing any information whatsoever as you glance at
the clock and realize hopelessly that there’s no way
you’ll be ready for your exam by 11 a.m.?

Me neither, but I’m not the only one.

Young people across the nation are saying goodbye to
unproductive, caffeine-induced study sessions and hello to
prescription drugs that can improve their performance in
studying.

Drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin, which are meant to treat
people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention
deficit disorder, are being popped regularly by college students
because they increase focus and help students zone in and get their
school work done.

This becomes an issue mainly because it is illegal to use these
drugs without a prescription, and the side effects can be
detrimental to people who do not suffer from ADHD or ADD.

According to the University of Iowa Student Health Web site,
these side effects include dizziness, blurred vision, increased
heart rate and blood pressure, tremors, anxiety and
nervousness.

The Web site also states that because Adderall has only been FDA
approved for the past 10 years, the effects of the drug are still
being studied.

If you ask me, this is just the next step in evolution.

I’m not saying people have evolved into drug addicts,
although there are many who have, but we Americans love to have
stuff handed to us on a silver platter.

Let’s face it: If something is invented that makes life a
bit easier on us, we tend to lap it up. Drive-thru windows get rid
of the awful burden of actually parking before you enter a
McDonald’s, TiVo makes it so you don’t have to watch
commercials, and you can even order your groceries online.

Why not make studying a bit easier too?

Nowadays it’s just much easier to take some meds to help
pull an all-nighter.

For many young adults, coffee just doesn’t cut it
anymore.

With many college students juggling classes, work and a social
life, drastic measures are often taken to ensure good grades.

At a campus like UCLA, where students (for the most part)
abstain from drug use, this problem isn’t too
overwhelming.

According to the UCLA Student Health Services Web site, the
Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center surveys have
repeatedly shown that UCLA students actually are not taking part in
risky drug behavior.

“In 2002, 70 percent of students reported no use of any
drug, and only 17 percent reported use of a drug other than
marijuana,” the survey states.

The 2002 Ashe Center student survey also said that in comparison
to national statistics, UCLA has lower numbers of drug use.

Nationally, however, these drugs can and do pose a threat to
their users.

“One of the fastest growing drug abuse concerns is
prescription drugs. The selling and purchasing of drugs have been
facilitated by the wide use of the internet, the anonymity it
provides, and the ease and relative secrecy of the mail and private
delivery companies,” said Drug Enforcement Administration
Special Agent In Charge Sherri Strange in a news release for the
DEA’s Web site.

There’s no doubt about it. These drugs are gaining
popularity across the country, even if Bruins tend to be a little
less pill-happy than the rest of the United States.

The reality is simple: College students like their prescription
drugs, and they like them a whole lot. While it is not the smartest
thing in the world to do, I don’t think it’s to be
unexpected.

If there is something out there that makes cramming for finals a
bit easier, I think it’s to be expected that young people
will use pills to their advantage.

Given the current day and age, who can blame them?

I certainly don’t.

Do you want to partake in a drug-free study session? E-mail
Shackelford at [email protected]. Send general comments
to [email protected].