Parents Unaware that 1 in 10 Teens Use 'Study Drugs' Without Prescription

By Julia Lynn Rubin , Parent Herald May 20, 02:04 pm

A new poll by the University of Michigan reveals that only one in 100 parents of teens believe their children have used or are using a "study drug," either a prescription stimulant or amphetamine to help them "gain an academic edge," despite recent data indicating about 10 percent of teens have used a stimulant not prescribed by their doctor to study, according to ScienceDaily.

Such "study drugs" are generally prescription medications used in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, and Vyvanse. The latest University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health shows that just 1 percent of parents whose teen is not prescribed such a drug believe their children has used one to help them study or improve their grades. In contrast, recent national data from "Monitoring the Future shows that 10 percent of high school sophomores and 12 percent of high school seniors say they've used an amphetamine or stimulant medication not prescribed by their doctor."

Teens sometimes gain access to ADHD medication by taking their friend's prescription, using the drugs to try to stay awake and alert while studying for and taking exams and working on school assignments. However, despite their efforts, Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, says that "study drugs" have not been proven to improve students' grades, and such drugs can be dangerous.

"Taking these medications when they are not prescribed for you can lead to acute exhaustion, abnormal heart rhythms and even confusion and psychosis if the teens get addicted and go into withdrawal," Davis said. "What we found in this poll is a clear mismatch between what parents believe and what their kids are reporting. But even though parents may not be recognizing these behaviors in their own kids, this poll also showed that one-half of the parents say they are very concerned about this abuse in their communities."

Over three-quarters of parents polled said "they support school policies aimed at stopping abuse of study drugs in middle schools and high schools," and 76 percent of parents overall said they believe schools should be required to discuss the dangers of ADHD medication abuse with students. Seventy-nine percent of parents polled support a policy that would require students with ADHD medication to keep their medication in a secure location at school, such as the nurse's office, effectively prohibiting them from walking around with their pills that could be shared with and sold to other students.

"We know teens may be sharing drugs or spreading the word that these medications can give their grades a boost," Davis said. "But the bottom line is that these prescription medications are drugs, and teens who use them without a prescription are taking a serious risk with their health."