With finals week approaching, students will attempt to cram incredible amounts of information for final exams that account for large portions of their grades.
With such a large amount of pressure to do well on final exams, the temptation to use study drugs to enhance focus levels is increased.
While the Undergraduate Students Association Council has made efforts to prevent students from taking study drugs around midterms and finals week, cooperation with UCLA Counseling and Psychology Services would greatly bolster the effectiveness of the campaign to decrease the casual use of academic enhancers such as Adderall and Ritalin.
Although CAPS has a program designed to assist students with addiction problems, it does not have one specific program that focuses on study drug abuse. On the other hand, USAC hosts events during weeks preceding exams designed to educate and prevent students from taking study drugs without a prescription.
Since USAC mainly focuses on preventative measures and CAPS focuses on measures to assist recovery, their efforts could be more effectively executed if both organizations collaborated and designed programs to raise awareness about study drug abuse. Moreover, this partnership should operate throughout the year.
Events that feature both preventative information from USAC and talks by doctors and former study drug users from CAPS would provide the most cohesive platform for communication on the topic.
Since the use of study drugs is an issue almost exclusively related to colleges, it is pivotal that UCLA emphasizes it during regular drug-education programs at events such as New Student Orientation.
Currently, the method of communication by which USAC seeks to educate students is pamphlets and other promotional materials, but if doctors and former drug users were to speak at study drug-related events, the message would be more authentic.
Furthermore, while the use of study drugs is heightened during test weeks, it is important that USAC and UCLA as a unit maintain their efforts throughout the quarter, not just at examination times. If such efforts were maintained throughout the quarter, their message would be more effective.
The central problem with study drug abuse is that those drugs, while they have a reputation for boosting academic performance, are not perceived to be harmful in the same way as other amphetamines. Yet, this does not diminish the fact that study drugs are nonetheless dangerous for students who are not prescribed them.
Common ADHD medication such as Adderall and Ritalin can have harmful side effects such as hallucinations and increased blood pressure. Long-term complications include heart disease, stroke, depression and psychotic disorders, according to a statement from Amy Mulherin, a medical doctor and the psychiatry director of CAPS.
Furthermore, the use of ADHD medication can lead to the development of addictive behaviors, making users psychologically dependent on ADHD medication to study, the statement added.
Because of the side effects of study drugs that many students fail to acknowledge, it is all the more important that campus organizations collaborate to emphasize study drug education.
Ultimately, the pressures of college students’ lives may push them to consider using study drugs. However, it is vital that the best measures are taken to inform students about what might be the most prevalent form of drug abuse among students.