The final weeks of the school semester bring the promise of warm summer days, no classes, and the chance – finally – to sleep late. The final weeks also often bring the dangerous abuse of attention-deficit medications like Adderall.

According to director of health services for Dowell Health Center Jane Halpern, students should understand that prescription medication should not be used simply as a study aide. "I understand that temptation because you want to stay up, stay awake, study and be focused, and I’m sure in most people, it does that…[but]… you’re getting it illegally from someone who’s selling it illegally." [Source: The Towerlight (Towson University)]

Halpern believes taking medication that wasn’t prescribed to you is no different than taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. In addition to the legal issues, misuse of prescription medication can have dangerous consequences, not the least of which is accidental overdose.

Labels: adderall, abuse, medications

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse