Photo Illustration by Michael Uribes / The Collegian
It may be tempting for some students to resort to drugs to stay alert during the final weeks of class. But when it comes to cognitive drugs, overusing them can cause serious side effects for the users.
Ritalin and Adderall have gained mainstream attention on college campuses as smart drugs, helping students focus and study for long periods of time without fatigue.
Fresno State Health Center Psychiatrist Scott Ahles said that when not used to treat attention deficit disorder, taking Ritalin or Adderall is similar to taking speed.
“They cause people to be irritable, anxious and if they take too much they can actually become psychotic,” Ahles said.
Much like speed, Ritalin and Adderall can have severe side effects. Public Health Professor Peggy Gish said side effects include, but are not limited to, anxiety, high blood pressure, insomnia and loss of appetite.
One Fresno State student said he had previously got a prescription for Aderall after trying it a few times, but stopped taking it when he noticed the side effects were progressively getting worse.
“I found that I would get mad a lot easier than I had before and I’m a pretty relaxed guy and never get mad,” he said. “I also had a hard time sleeping. There were times when I would close my eyes and after 15 to 20 minutes I was just as awake as I had been when trying to go to sleep.”
The student was lucky to recognize the change in their behavior and was able to quit, they said, but for some users the drug can be very addictive. Gish said, much like other stimulants, Aderall and Ritalin can be very hard to quit.
The University of Delaware reported that a study of lab rats in January 2002 Ritalin was proven to have a high addictive nature similar to that of cocaine. Researchers found that previous humans and animals could not tell the difference between cocaine and Ritalin when administered in similar doses.
Besides the physical side effects of the drug, students who illegally use Adderall or Ritalin can face legal ramifications as well.
Because the Federal Drug Administration lists Adderall and Ritalin as a schedule II controlled substance it is illegal for anyone without a prescription to possess let alone use the drugs.
Possessing the drugs is considered a class C felony and is punishable by 30 days in jail and up to 18 months of probation whereas the sale of the drugs is a class B felony punishable to 24 months of probation and up to 60 days in jail.
The student above didn’t know possessing Adderall or Ritalin without a prescription was considered a felony. “When I got the pills from my friends at first I thought there was nothing wrong sharing it with me,” he said. “I figured if they sold it, then maybe we both could get in trouble.”
The student also said it’s not work the work knowing the punishment “A few pills isn’t worth the time I would lose if I went to jail,” he said. “I’d rather lose a few weekends because I’m studying than lose a few months because I was lazy and took the easy way out.”