Students using drugs to improve brainpower - KMTR NewsSource 16

Eugene (KMTR) - A new and dangerous twist is evolving in the pursuit of "higher" education. College students are using prescription drugs to help boost their grades. It’s estimated that one in four college students is abusing the drug Adderall, which is normally prescribed for children with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Dr. Ronald Schwerzler of the Serenity Lane drug and alcohol treatment center in Eugene says Adderall does help students stay awake, concentrate, and boost their memories, but taking the drug can be dangerous.

Students are buying the drug from dealers, classmates and sometimes from people who are truly being treated for ADD.

Some students are even getting the drug from their own doctors. “Some kids come here and know the exact story to tell a doctor; ‘Uh, I've got a history of ADD. I’m agitated, hyper-active, and I need Ritalin.’ And there are a lot of doctors who will prescribe those drugs for patients without a full diagnosis, in my opinion,” Dr. Schwerzler said.

Marijuana, opiates, Vicodin, Percoset, Ritalin, and amphetamines are also commonly abused on college campuses.

Dr. Schwerzler has tried to spread awareness on the University of Oregon campus, at fraternities and sororities.  But he says it’s not just college-age students who are misusing the drugs; some kids are using as early as middle school.

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