PRESCRIPTION PILLS POSE PROBLEM AT USA

Prescription pill abuse is becoming a widespread trend among students
at USA and on other college campuses.

According to The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), in
2001, "almost 7 million young adults aged 18 to 25 had used
prescription-type drugs non-medically at least once in their lifetime."

"It's the same reason athletes use performance enhancing drugs," said
Dr. Thomasina Sharpe, director of the University of South Alabama's
Student Health Center. "This is a high-stress situation, and students
are striving to perform. Abuse comes as an attempt to augment
performance."

From the three general categories of prescription-type drugs -
stimulants, pain relievers and central nervous system (CNS)
depressants - stimulants are most commonly abused to enhance
performance in the classroom. Historically used to treat
attention-deficit disorder (ADD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, stimulants have similar chemical
structures to monoamines, key brain neurotransmitters that include
norepinephrine and dopamine, thereby increasing brain activity.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), stimulants
cause an "increase in alertness, attention and energy that is
accompanied by elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate and
respiration." Commonly prescribed stimulants include Ritalin and Adderall.

"Adderall, Ritalin, speed - they can all be abused to enhance your
performance," Sharpe said.

Stimulant abuse by college students is caused by many factors, though
stress is thought to be most common.

"Adderall just makes me feel good, like I can get everything done
while still having fun," said a USA freshman who wished to remain
anonymous. "I mean, I'm not addicted or anything, I just snort it when
I have a lot of stuff to do."

Research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), a government agency overseen by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, indicates that "people with
ADHD do not become addicted to stimulant medications, such as Ritalin,
when taken in the form and dosage prescribed." However, the research
also states when they are "misused, stimulants can be addictive."

Addiction is a risk factor when pills are being misused and possession
is against the law, according to the 2004 USA Lowdown. As part of the
Substance Abuse Policy found on page 197, " possession of even one
pill of common prescription medication like Lortab, Ritalin, Valium,
etc., without a valid prescription is a felony," due to the definition
of a "controlled substance" from the Alabama State Board of Health.

"It's the equivalent of having cocaine," said Paul Houlsen, interim
chief of police at USA. "It carries the same charges of being in
possession of a scheduled narcotic or illegal drug."

Possession of a controlled substance is a Class C felony in Alabama,
and can result in one year and one day to 10 years in jail and a
maximum fine of $5,000. Distributing a controlled substance in Alabama
is a Class B felony, resulting in a jail sentence of two to 20 years
and a maximum fine of $10,000. In addition, those convicted of
distribution of a controlled substance within three miles of a college
campus must serve an extra five years in prison without the
possibility of probation.

In the past two years, USA police have arrested six students for the
possession of pills without a valid prescription. Usually found during
a routine traffic stop, the USA police have confiscated numerous
pills, including Valium, Adderall, Xanax, Lortab and countless other
unidentified pills. On one occasion in January of 2003, 13 partial
Xanax bars, 48 full Xanax tablets, five Lortabs and 59 ecstasy pills
were confiscated from a Delta dorm room.

Though hundreds more cases of recreational prescription pill use
exsist on the USA campus, Houlsen attributes the relatively few number
of arrests to the nature of the drugs.

"It's not an open-air market," said Houlsen. "You are not selling it
to strangers, each person sells within their little circle."

Even with the stiff punishments and laws prohibiting such actions,
students still seek out prescription pills. And according to USA
students, availability is not a problem.

"I just buy them over the Internet," said one USA senior who spoke on
condition of anonymity. "You just type in one little thing, one little
problem, and they just send you a prescription, with your name on the
bottle and everything."

According to the source, all a student has to do to obtain pills
locally is "ask around."

"They're everywhere," the student said. "You can find them in a
heartbeat around here."

Abusers of Ritalin and Adderall either swallow high dosages of the
medications or crush them into a fine powder in order to snort them up
the nasal passages. The resulting effect is usually felt as an innate
ability to focus and/or a jittery feeling of euphoria. Adderall, when
crushed, is often referred to as "hippie crack."

"I do see people coming in addicted to those medications, abusing
those medications and trying to get those medications," said Sharpe.
Though the Student Health Center can prescribe any medication,
stringent procedures are enforced to avoid students obtaining
addictive pills on campus.

"We are not going to give anything addictive if there is a
non-addictive alternative," said Sharpe. "We have a strict policy to
avoid students falling into that trap." Parts of USA's policy include
a neurological examination, medical records, a controlled substance
contract, prescriptions filled one month at a time and an evaluation
by the Student Health Center's physician.

High dosages of stimulants and chronic stimulant abuse can have
perilous results. According to SAMHSA, side effects may include
"irregular heartbeat, dangerously high body temperatures, and/or the
potential for cardiovascular failure or seizures." SAMHSA also reports
"taking high doses of some stimulants repeatedly over a short period
of time can lead to hostility or feelings of paranoia in some
individuals."

Though abuse of stimulants is often attributed to college-aged young
adults, the highest rate of prescription pill abuse among 18 to
25-year-olds is that associated with prescription pain relievers.
According to SAMHSA, "In 2002, almost 30 million persons aged 12 or
older had used prescription pain relievers non-medically in their lifetime."

Classified as either narcotics or opiods, pain relievers also cause
drowsiness or sleep. Historically, these drugs were derived from the
opium poppy, but can now be manufactured synthetically. Commonly
prescribed drugs include Darvocet, Vicodin, Lortab and OxyContin.

"I love Ultram," said one USA student who wished to remain anonymous.
"It's usually prescribed for migraines, but it's like a weak form of
morphine. "It makes you tingle, it makes you itch, it makes your nose
go [wipes nose rapidly back and forth], but it's a good itch, it just
make you calm."

Opiods attach to opiod receptors, proteins in the brain, spinal cord
and gastrointestinal tract, to change the way a person experiences
pain. Opiods can also cause an initial euphoria by affecting the
regions in the brain that perceive pleasure. Side effects can be
severe. According to SAMHSA, opiods "produce drowsiness, cause
constipation and, depending upon the amount taken, depress breathing."
A large dose can cause a person to stop breathing.

CNS depressants, like tranquilizers and sedatives, slow normal brain
function and are divided into two categories: barbiturates and
benzodiazepines. Barbiturates, such as Mebaral and Nembutal, are
generally used to treat anxiety, tension, and sleep disorders.
Benzodiazepines, for instance Valium and Xanax, are prescribed for
anxiety, acute stress reactions and panic attacks. NIDA reports that
over 100 million prescriptions were written in 1999 for CNS
depressants. According to NIDA, CNS depressants affect the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which produces
drowsiness and/or a calming effect.

"Valium, man, they make me feel straight," said one 25-year-old who
requested anonymity.

Many college students use CNS depressants in conjunction with other
drugs, including alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine (crystal meth).
The depressants are often used to "come down" from a stimulant high,
which can result in death.

"I'll only use cocaine if I have a handful of pills to eat, to come
down and chill out," said one 25-year-old who also wished to remain
nameless.

"A handful of pills" is not even very expensive, according to
anonymous sources. For example, the street value of a Lortab runs
roughly $5; a Soma (a muscle relaxant prescribed for injuries and
painful muscular conditions) for $1; a single Valium, $2-$3; a bar of
Xanax or an Adderall tablet, $4-$5 each.

With pills so readily available and arguably inexpensive, many
students can face serious health risks with constant recreational use.

"The next day, I feel like sh, man; my head hurts, I don't want to
move or do anything," said an anonymous 24-year old USA student. "But
I have a great time the night before."

For help with prescription pill abuse on campus, contact USA's
Counseling and Testing Services.