I've told DD (who's at college now) to not even talk about her ADHD, so classmates won't know that she has these meds in her possession. I would think she'd get harassed by some kids to let them have some.

Anonymous wrote:How do kids keep from getting their prescriptions stolen in the dorm? I worry how my DH will keep his drugs safe. He has been taking mess for severe adhd for years so this isn't an advantage issue--just a medical issue. He has a few years left at home so I haven't addressed this with the psychiatrist who prescribes for him. Anyone dealt with this issue? At $20 a pop, I would think theft would be a real problem.

It is a problem, trust me. I have students tell me often that they had a party in their dorm or apartment only to discover afterwards that Adderall pills they'd had in their medicine cabinet were missing. I tell students to keep their medications hidden in a discrete place, preferable locked up. This is true not just for ADHD meds but also pain pills, an anti-anxiety meds like Xanax.

Anonymous wrote:How do kids keep from getting their prescriptions stolen in the dorm? I worry how my DH will keep his drugs safe. He has been taking mess for severe adhd for years so this isn't an advantage issue--just a medical issue. He has a few years left at home so I haven't addressed this with the psychiatrist who prescribes for him. Anyone dealt with this issue? At $20 a pop, I would think theft would be a real problem.

College kids aren't paying $20 - they pay $3-5 per pill. theft isn't a huge problem. The suppliers have their people who give them the drugs. They aren't depending on rooting through dorm rooms to get their supply. Just tell your son to keep his script and pills on the down low. It is more friends and others will ask for a ill, than drug dealers will be going through his sock drawer

Huge in high school too. I even wonder about the ones who have valid prescriptions, but it is a real problem at the local privates.

How do kids keep from getting their prescriptions stolen in the dorm? I worry how my DH will keep his drugs safe. He has been taking mess for severe adhd for years so this isn't an advantage issue--just a medical issue. He has a few years left at home so I haven't addressed this with the psychiatrist who prescribes for him. Anyone dealt with this issue? At $20 a pop, I would think theft would be a real problem.

Anonymous wrote:Colleges are now being more careful with diagnoses with many saying they will no longer diagnose students, if they don;t show up at college with a diagnosis already, they can't get a prescription.

I've heard it's somewhat easy for kids in HS to feign the symptoms and get the Rx. Then they sell each pill for something like $20/pill. How entrepreneurial of them.

Colleges are now being more careful with diagnoses with many saying they will no longer diagnose students, if they don;t show up at college with a diagnosis already, they can't get a prescription.

Anonymous wrote:Kids do this in HS to get into these schools. Nothing new, just easier access and less trouble if caught than cocaine.

Mostly a wealthy kid issue I would imagine since these RX aren't cheap. Just another way people with means are able to game the system better than those without. It's no wonder it's harder for kids from lower/middle SES to get up in this world.

Maybe they should get into more trouble with these types of drugs as with illegal ones..wait a minute, these drugs are illegal to have without a Rx. Shouldn't the punishment be the same? Again, do they get into less trouble because the parents are wealthy? A form of "affluenza" perhaps?

Huge in the college I teach at as well. It is very available and many use it to get the work done. Pretty acceptable too - not considered drug use, more like caffeine+

Anonymous wrote:It is cheating, just like using steroids is cheating if you are an athlete. It's a form of substance abuse. People will do anything to win, though.

It just gives me warm, fuzzy feelings to think about these people running our country.

It is cheating if not prescribed by a doctor to treat a diagnosed learning disability, but students font always reveal their health records to others (nor should they)

I did this in college but I'm not proud of it. I could learn an entire semester's worth of material in one night, it was insane. I was just trying to pass though, not a good student but I was at a good college for sports. I had friends who snorted it and took it with alcohol but I never did that.

I work in a college -- and yes, stimulant abuse is a huge problem. Our student health center and counseling center recently instituted a more stringent policy for presciption of ADHD medication. Even with the drugs being harder to get on campus legally there are a lot of kids abusing Ritalin and Adderall especially. These substances are no joke -- they are essnetially amphetemines.

Kids do this in HS to get into these schools. Nothing new, just easier access and less trouble if caught than cocaine.

It is cheating, just like using steroids is cheating if you are an athlete. It's a form of substance abuse. People will do anything to win, though.

It just gives me warm, fuzzy feelings to think about these people running our country.

This is scary. I had a friend do this once in college...just once - but not in Ivy League. She shook so much from it that it freaked her out. Never again. I've never done this. Seems kinda like cheating, though. There's a difference between coffee and Red Bull and Rx stimulants.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/30365/20140503/1-in-4-ivy-league-college-students-uses-adhd-drugs-to-earn-better-grades.htm