Two years ago, we published an article on prescription drug abuse in private schools. We reported that medicine prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was being misused by high-performing students—not to get high, but rather to focus on schoolwork and manage their heavy workloads.
Now it’s 2014, and prescription drugs are still reported as a major problem for our best and brightest students.
Students with ADHD have difficulty concentrating on specific tasks for any length of time, and stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall help patients improve their focus by calming them. That said, what calms down ADHD patients will “hype up” ordinary students. When students feel pressured to the point where they feel they can no longer cope with schoolwork, some turn to stimulants like prescription ADHD drugs as study aids.
ADHD medication is labeled by the U.S. government as Schedule II controlled substance, which indicates a “medicine that is very habit-forming or very likely to be abused." Indeed, Adderall is an amphetamine, a chemical also found in illegal drugs like MDMA (ecstacy) and methamphetamine. According to an official “highlights of prescribing information” for consumers of Adderall XR, side effects can include:
- insomnia;
- nervousness;
- weight loss;
- “serious cardiovascular events” like strokes and myocardial infarction (heart attacks);
- seizures; and
- “psychiatric adverse events,” with warnings that “psychotic or manic symptoms” can occur in patients with “no prior history” and to “monitor” patients “for aggressive behavior.”
ADHD medications are not the only drugs abused by private school teens. Jeff Wolfsberg, international expert in adolescent health and drug education, says that the rate of marijuana and alcohol abuse in private schools is “on par” with that of public schools. Other research by Professor Suniya Luthar of Columbia University suggests that some high-performing private-school students “self-medicate” their clinical depression, anxiety, and eating disorders aggravated by “achievement pressure.”
The CRC Health Group has put together an infographic about prescription drug abuse with some common-sense reminders you can share with parents on your social media accounts or embed on your own website.
Additionally, be aware of student stress level and emotional well-being. Increased academic pressure can cause students to “crack” and compensate decreased personal ability with artificial enhancers such as prescription ADHD medications. Train teachers to identify students suffering from common psychological issues like depression and anxiety. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) recommends the following noninvasive strategies for teachers to help depressed students cope with their academic responsibilities—without turning to prescription drug abuse.
- Give frequent feedback on student performance, including academic, social, and behavioral.
- Teach students to set goals and self-monitor, including ways to organize, plan, and execute regularly-scheduled school tasks (recurring homework, club responsibilities, etc.).
- Encourage students to interact with others.
- If necessary, establish strong communication with families of especially troubled students to inform parents of fluctuations in students’ academic, social, and emotional behavior.
While evaluating your school policies this summer, take a second look at those on the prevention and treatment of prescription drug abuse within your student body. When this fall rolls around, you might be very glad that you did.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 10 No. 10 Kids Pushing Too Hard? Prescription Stimulants Abuse in Private Schools
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 12 No. 5 Marijuana: A Legal Drug on Campus
Private School News Vol. 12 No. 1 Scaring the Trouble Out of Troubled Teens
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 29 No. 6 Random Drug Testing Policies for Students
I&P Vol. 38 No. 14 The Benefits of Schedule Design Change
