Our Kids Are On Drugs–A Health Perspective
It’s no secret that are kids our on drugs. It has been this way for several generations, but the types of drugs kids take and how they are used has changed dramatically. Among the many popular prescription drugs in high schools and college campuses nationwide, Adderall is the most widely used. How prevalent is the drug?
“It’s rampant!” yells a Palmer Pharmacy customer.
Nicole Pagano, who has been working as a pharmacist for five years, is fully aware of the negative side effects of the drug. She has been an employee of Palmer Pharmacy since it opened last year, which is located on Green Street in downtown Ithaca, and has dealt with issues like forged prescriptions in the past. She said that in some very serious cases, people can die from taking the drug.
“If you take the drug as it is prescribed it can cause weight loss, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure…When people start taking the drug in excessive amounts and in other ways, such as snorting or injecting the drug, it can cause heart attacks and strokes,” Pagano said.
Pagano said that her cousin got hooked on adderall, which eventually led to a cocaine addiction. The trend goes like this: the heavier the workload, the more prevalent the drug becomes. While studying in pharmacy school, Pagano noticed how many students became dependent on the drug to stay in school.
“There are a lot of people in pharmacy school who used it to stay awake longer to study longer…I’ve known people who have graduated from pharmacy school addicted to Oxycontin, some of them end up in jail, but most people don’t get caught.”
A piece of legislation called the Health Information and Portable Accountability Act (HIPPA) was passed in 1996 to ensure an individual’s health information is kept private. While this has led to improvements in doctor/patient relations, it also makes it easier for patients to get the drugs they want.
“If pharmacies and doctors were able to communicate more freely, then we could address this issue more directly…HIPPA is for patient privacy, and it has good intentions, but it gets in the way of communication between pharmacists and doctors.”
Pagano said that if she ever sees something that doesn’t look right, she immediately contacts the doctor of the patient to confirm the prescription. She said this should be a general practice for pharmacists.
“Pharmacists forget that we can refuse any prescription for any reason at any time.”
Neil Goodman, a sophomore at Ithaca College, is what you would call a responsible user. He has had a prescription for adderall since he started college, and said he has always had issues with ADHD. Though his parents were very reluctant at first, they knew that it would help improve his schoolwork. Goodman is fully aware of the negative health effects caused by adderall, which is why he makes sure he uses it responsibly and only as needed.
“In combination with marijuana or alcohol, it becomes counterintuitive,” he said. “You confuse your nervous system, which leads to other health issues.”
Goodman brings up other substances for a very important reason. Not only is it the most widespread drug, but many students take it simply because they enjoy the high, which has dubbed it the “party drug.”
“People take adderall so they can stay awake and drink, which is funny because it’s meant to be taken in the morning. A 20mg adderall will keep you awake for ten hours, and a 30mg will last about twelve hours. It’s unnatural for your body, you’re supposed to let your body fall asleep on its own,” Goodman said.
Both Goodman and Pagano said that the solution to the problem lies in better education and better awareness.
“I sometimes go to to local schools and talk to younger students about prescription drugs. The more these kids know, the less likely they are to abuse drugs in the future,” Pagano said.
Goodman sums it up:
“For people who have ADHD, there are plenty of other drugs you can consult with your physician or doctor about…None of us our doctors, a lot of information is spread, some of it’s true and most of it’s not, and that’s why we pay the professionals.”
