Legal Drugs Abused by Resident College Students
Young Adults Living in the Dorm can Access Rx and OTC Medications
Jul 14, 2009
The unstable economy is putting a lot of street drug dealers out of business. Unfortunately, many young people are now turning to home medicine cabinets to get high. Parents are urged to keep close watch on all medications, but what happens when a teen goes away to college?
Buying and selling drugs in a college dorm is as easy as visiting the neighbors down the hall. Legal drugs can be purchased from the local pharmacy, a convenience store, or grocery store. Think you can trust your college student to resist drug abuse as he transitions from home to the freedom of a college campus? Think again.
Prescription Drugs and OTC Medications are Dangerous Substances
There is a misconception among young people and even some parents that legal drugs are harmless because the medications are openly sold to the public or are prescribed by a physician. Any medication taken in excess or used for a purpose other than which it was intended is dangerous. Prescription medicine can cause serious harm or even death when abused. Misuse of OTC drugs can be harmful or fatal, too.
Family Circle magazine author, Richard Laliberte, presented a special report in the July 2008 issue (p. 46) titled, "Hard Candy." The report takes a look at some of the popular prescription and OTC drugs teens are abusing. "Skittles, Cotton, and Skippy, are just a few of the catchy nicknames that fool teens into thinking prescription and over the counter drugs are a safe way to get high. They couldn't be more wrong." The report warns that teens abusing at-home drugs are at high risk for moving on to illegal drug use and could easily become full-blown addicts.
College Students Abuse Legal Prescription and OTC Drugs
Slang has always been part of the drug culture, but giving drugs cute names does not make the medications any less potent. College students may not use quirky names like "Christmas Trees," "Barbies," "Jellies," and "Red Dolls," on campus, but the young adults are using the drugs just the same.
Legal drugs college students are likely to abuse:
- Vicodin. A prescription pain reliever teens call "Vikes" or "Norco." Popping more than the prescribed amount can cause one to get high.
- OxyContin or Oxycodone. Known by the slang terms: "Oxy," "O.C.," or "Cotton." Oxycodone is an analgesic pain reliever that is widely popular among high school and college students. Oxycodone can react adversely with alcohol and other medications. Information provided online by AOL Health, "What Is the Most Important Information I Should Know about Oxycodone" (no author given), states, "Taking too much oxycodone could result in serious side effects, even death." How do students use oxycodone? According to Laliberte (Family Circle), "... teens usually crush the tablets and snort the powder to get a bigger dose, producing an intense euphoria."
- Cough and Cold Medicines. "Skittles" or "Skits" is one of the slang terms for cold remedies. Young people that avoid illegal drugs may not think twice about abusing tablets, gel caps, lozenges, and cough syrup containing dextromethorphan (DXM). Taken in large doses, one can get high on medications that include DM on the label.
- Ritalin and Adderall. Abusers call these attention deficit medications "Jif," "Skippy," "Vitamin R," and "R-Ball." The prescription drugs are stimulants commonly used to treat ADHD. Used to get high, stay awake, or even taken as an appetite suppressant, Ritalin and Adderall are extremely popular drugs among college students, especially during mid-terms and final exam week. The dangers? Taking high doses repeatedly over a short period of time can cause hallucinations and heart failure. Worse yet, mixed with other medicines the drug combination can be lethal.
Where Do College Students Get the Money to Buy Legal Drugs?
Good students who have never been in trouble are often influenced by the freedom that comes from being away at college. Many of the drugs that are easily accessible are also quite cheap. Planning to give your college-bound student a refillable credit card to use for emergencies? Think twice. A credit card is an easy way to buy drugs from the drugstore or online.
Students can sell legal drugs to other students to make quick cash. Selling prescription medications at college is an easy way to make money.
How Do Parents of College Students Combat Abuse of Legal Drugs?
Educating new college students to common legal drug dangers and money-making drug scams is one answer. Additionally, informed parents are urged to let the student know they are aware of legal drug abuse tactics.
- Watch for any signs of abuse, such as difference in behavior or personality during phone calls.
- Watch for the same changes in letters and emails.
- Stay alert to requests for money and ask for receipts when so-called “emergencies” pop up.
- Stay on top of the situation if a student gets hurt or sick more than what seems reasonable.
- Visit the student at school when parents are invited and take note of any unusual behavior.
- Note any peculiar changes when the student is home on break.
- Set a good example and don't abuse legal drugs. Avoid taking prescription medications prescribed for someone else.
Students going off to college have easy access to medications that are cheap. New-found freedom often lures young people to try new things, including getting high, but students may also be tempted to sell prescription medications to make extra cash. The best defense against abuse of legal drugs is education and staying aware of the problem. Look for warning signs the young person may be taking drugs, and act immediately before tragedy strikes.
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