Abuse of Prescription Drugs on College Campuses Essay

Abuse of Drugs on College Campuses Today on college campuses, it is not possible to make it through college without knowing someone who has at least tried a prescription drug or recreational drug for either party uses, to help them study and keep up in school, or simply to help them get by day-to-day. Maybe you have tried them yourself? College students all across the nation are abusing substances such as Adderall, Vicodin, Oxycontin, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. Those students who drink alcohol are more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical uses than non-drinkers. The number one way students are getting their hands on these different drugs is from the help of their peers. As for prescriptions, others steal it from their†¦show more content†¦I have personally seen this happen with a friend who recently broke his leg. This particular person has no more pain from the injury, but continues to take the Vicodin for recreational purposes and sometimes drinks alcohol while taking them. When mixing alcohol and Vicodin it causes an enhanced sedated feeling and/or respiratory depression making the effects life threatening. In addition to Vicodin, the pain killer Oxycontin is also widely abused. It is used to treat severe pain that is expected to last a prolonged amount of time. Oxycontin has many similar side effects of Vicodin along with sweating, itching, loss of appetite, and severe weakness. It works by blocking the brain from receiving pain messages. The reason Oxycontin is so dangerous is because it is highly addictive and is a central ner vous system depressant. It is believed that a younger healthier college student is more likely to become addicted to the drug rather than an older adult taking it for pain reasons. This is because taking Oxycontin to get high has a completely different effect on the body (â€Å"Oxycontin†). Like most drugs, Oxycontin can be abused in many different forms. It can be taken orally, crushed up and snorted, or dissolved and injected. By crushing it up or injecting it, it causes an instant feeling of euphoria when it enters the body. Oxycontin is often called â€Å"poor man’s heroin† due to the fact that they both have comparable effects. When the user is exposed to constant amounts ofShow MoreRelatedThe Use Of Drugs And Alcohol On College Campuses873 Words   |  4 Pages The use of drugs and alcohol on college campuses has always been a problem but the drastic increase in the amount of college students binge drinking and abusing prescription and illegal drugs from the early 90’s till now is becoming more alarming and has to be acted upon. 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