Ritalin abuse on a rampant high among teenagers
For sleep-deprived teenagers who are struggling to make the grade, Ritalin has emerged as the popular choice in the recent times according to a recently concluded study.
It was found that undergraduates and high school SAT-takers are turning to prescription stimulants these days to boost their concentration levels for staying ahead of the competition without burning the oil in night.
As per a study by the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center, ten percent of college students were found to be using stimulants on an illegal basis at some point in their college years.
From News-Medical.Net:
“Most students who use their friend’s stimulants do it to improve performance,” said Scott Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of the Florida Recovery Center at UF. “It’s like athletes taking steroids – the idea that you can study better, harder, longer, as if you were hitting a ball farther.”
But the pills won’t make up for a semester of slacking off, said Teitelbaum.
“When you look at the students that use illicit (stimulants), their performance at school is worse,” Teitelbaum said. “And that’s probably because the need to use the drug reflects them being behind, and needing to cram and catch up.”
Ritalin revs up the central nervous system, creating feelings of alertness that fall somewhere between those produced by caffeine and cocaine.
“If you look at Ritalin structurally, it’s the closest relative to cocaine,” said Teitelbaum. “I think it depends on the dose one is taking, and why they’re taking it. Some people take stimulants solely for the effect on concentration. Other people are taking it for the buzz.”
Pharmaceutical abuse is on the rise among teens, surpassing the combined rates of crack/cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin and methamphetamine abuse, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Experts predict the trend will continue because the pills are inexpensive and widely available.
“Unlike cocaine, you can get Ritalin very cheaply from your friends because all they need is their co-pay,” Teitelbaum said. “There’s a great availability.”
Thus, it can be easily said that the use of illicit drugs has been on a rampant high despite in the United States despite government efforts to curb it.
