KIDS ABUSE DRUG TO STUDY

Medication Calms Exam Nerves

It's called dextroamphetamine, and it's a drug likely used by at
least one student in every elementary, junior high, high school and
post-secondary classroom in the city.

The drug is prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, a condition affecting three to 10 per cent of the
population. But some students who have not been diagnosed with ADHD
are using the drug to combat the stress and anxiety associated with studying.

Adam Bobawsky, a first-year student at the University of Calgary,
said he used "dex" in junior high and high school to study.

"You got really focused, you weren't distracted, and you could read
for as long as you wanted to," said Bobawsky.

"It's so accessible because everyone has ADHD," said university
student Sarah Griffin.

The drug is a stimulant. It helps to increase concentration and
heightens mental alertness and energy.

"It speeds them up. It's in the same category as cocaine and meth,"
said Dr. William G. Campbell.

Like caffeine, tobacco, methamphetamine and cocaine, the drug also
has serious side-effects. When used illegally, without a
prescription, users can feel restless, shaky, anxious, sweat
excessively, get headaches, have blurred vision and experience dizziness.

Taking dex, though it may not be as addictive as other amphetamines,
is "risky behaviour," said George McBride of AADAC's Adult
Counselling and Prevention Services, "and it could be a gate to the
use of harder, more addictive substances, said Dr. Campbell.

And, Campbell said, "Some students are more predisposed to addiction
than others."

"People use things at some level as a problem solver, and drugs are a
short-term solution that causes immense problems. The solution then
becomes the problem," said McBride.

"It was the only reason I passed calculus," said Matt, a first-year U
of C student at the Haskayne School of Business.

Matt said he used the drug last semester during exams.

"It's like Red Bull but a lot stronger. It lasts longer, and has more
of a kick to it," said Matt.

Debbie Bruckner, director of the wellness centre at the U of C, said
the school is aware some people take drastic measures to deal with
stress, though she added the school feels confident the drug is not
being used by a large percentage of students.

But students who have been diagnosed with ADHD may be sharing or
selling the drug to classmates.

"A guy in my class had a prescription for it and was selling it," said Matt.

Matt said he has quite a few friends that also use the drug for
finals and studying. He isn't afraid of the side-effects, but he
won't use dex when he graduates and has a job.

"Just like anything, like drinking and other drugs, you mature out of
it," he said.

Bruckner said the university's wellness centre has noticed students
are dealing with more stress now than students have dealt with in the past.

"Those stressors are pretty vast," she said. "They're around academic
stress, financial stress, the competition to get into university,
isolation. And, frankly, that's why many universities, are putting a
huge focus on building a supportive community for students and
helping them to have more positive forms of coping strategies."