An article published on Oct. 15 in the Journal considered the ongoing use and abuse of prescription drugs at Queen’s.
The article focused primarily on the use of drugs meant to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which are among the drugs of choice for students looking to boost productivity and concentration as the school year becomes increasingly busy.
The article also detailed the lengthy process by which an individual is assessed and prescribed these medications.
It’s tempting to blame the increasing recreational usage of these drugs on over-prescription or the growing pressures of the academic lifestyle, but it speaks more to a general ignorance of the real risks of abusing prescription medication.
People who underestimate the dangers of taking drugs that aren’t prescribed to them are simply misinformed. Because this medication is intended to address a specific problem with a specific degree of severity, taking it without being properly diagnosed by a doctor could produce no effect, or a severe reaction.
Amphetamine-based drugs come with a risk of addiction, compounded by the fact that controlling drug use isn’t always in the hands of the user. Doses are specifically tailored to an individual’s needs and watched carefully by the doctors that prescribe them.
As with any other drug, it’s important that people who enjoy abusing these drugs—and their friends—be aware of the warning signs of addiction and adverse reactions.
But beyond the possibility of physical harm, the destigmatization of this kind of drug abuse has other damaging effects. Using a drug as a quick fix for a day of cramming for an exam or an all-nighter to finish a paper marginalizes the issues it’s intended to treat.
The person giving away these drugs—whether for fun or profit—is effectively hurting themselves by refusing to properly address a serious and lifelong condition.
There’s no reason why a desire for a quick buck should lead someone to short-change themselves.
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