Prescription Stimulant Abuse on University Campuses

Abstract

Prescription stimulant drug abuse among college students has increasingly become a concern over the last decade for college and university officials in the United States. Students use stimulant medications for nonmedical reasons including staying awake to study, staying awake to socialize, increasing energy, and losing weight. Substance abuse literature ranks stimulants first among the drugs commonly abused on college campuses. In response, we examine the current literature to determine who is abusing the drugs, the reasons for use, and suggestions that may be implemented on college campuses to educate students about the dangers associated with prescription stimulant abuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Prescription abuse
• stimulant abuse
• treatment
• sober college
• self-help groups
• disease model