The most common drug taken by the students was Adderall, used to control symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other drugs reported in significant numbers were Vicodin, a narcotic pain reliever, and cough medicine.
Of the students who reported taking prescription drugs, one-quarter said they took them with the intent of improving their performance academically, the survey found.
Illicit use of Adderall and other ADHD drugs on college campuses is a problem attracting increasing concern, in part because the stimulants pose a high potential for dependence or abuse and can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious side effects. The rise in medical prescriptions for stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin has led to concern on the part of some clinicians.
Several studies in recent years have examined the use of prescription stimulants on college campuses, with experts warning that the off-label use of these drugs can be dangerous.
Dr. Timothy Wilens, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital who is an authority on ADHD, said the drugs are showing up on college campuses because "they are available, and the culture is accepting of using them. Additionally, the perception of many students is that prescription medications are legal, not dangerous, not morally problematic, not really a drug of abuse, and everyone is doing it."
He noted that while the risk for serious adverse side effects is low for most college students, students who misuse stimulants are not screened for medical safety issues or followed by a physician.
"When used therapeutically, there is no systematic evidence of abuse or dependence developing," he said. "However, misusing the stimulants at inappropriate dosing may lead to substance dependence." Another danger is that students could face disciplinary action, or even criminal liability, for misusing the drugs, he said.
To conduct the surveys, anonymous questionnaires were completed by 192 students at Northeastern University, Boston University, Suffolk University and Emerson College. The survey is not representative of all Boston college students because participants were selected through an informal sampling.
