Drug problem difficult to measure
Joe Griffith
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: News
Experts suspect the drug abuse problem on college campuses isn't portrayed accurately in the numbers.
"There are students at every university with dependence issues," said Dr. Christopher Halasy, medical director and chief of medicine at the Student Medical Center. "And this is not easily quantifiable, as we only learn of cases which present themselves to us for help or apply to drop from class work after inpatient treatment for detox and rehab."
Recent studies across the United States have reported a fairly significant number of students are abusing prescription drugs on college campuses, and it has yet to be determined how prevalent this issue is at UT.
A recent study done in October 2006 by Pharmacotherapy, a journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy, took a random sample of 4,580 college students across the country and found that 5.9 percent, or 269 students, reported lifetime and past-year prevalence for illicit use of prescription stimulants.
Approximately 75.8 percent of those students reported past-year use of an amphetamine-dextroamphetamine combination commonly known as Adderall, and 24.5 percent of those students reported past-year use of methylpbenidate commonly known as Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, or Methyline.
Administration at UT report dealing with approximately three to seven cases per school year of prescription drug abuse among students.
"I suspect there is probably more of it going on," said Terry Teagarden, assistant director for student judicial affairs.
"I know it happens," Teagarden said. "We just don't get that much of it."
The problem with finding cases of students abusing prescription drugs is it seems easier for students to hide their usage unless their behavior is out of the ordinary, said Jo Campbell, director of residence life.
"We see half of a dozen cases in a year," Campbell said. "So it's not a huge problem, but again these are the people we become aware of because of their behavior."
"There are students at every university with dependence issues," said Dr. Christopher Halasy, medical director and chief of medicine at the Student Medical Center. "And this is not easily quantifiable, as we only learn of cases which present themselves to us for help or apply to drop from class work after inpatient treatment for detox and rehab."
Recent studies across the United States have reported a fairly significant number of students are abusing prescription drugs on college campuses, and it has yet to be determined how prevalent this issue is at UT.
A recent study done in October 2006 by Pharmacotherapy, a journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy, took a random sample of 4,580 college students across the country and found that 5.9 percent, or 269 students, reported lifetime and past-year prevalence for illicit use of prescription stimulants.
Approximately 75.8 percent of those students reported past-year use of an amphetamine-dextroamphetamine combination commonly known as Adderall, and 24.5 percent of those students reported past-year use of methylpbenidate commonly known as Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, or Methyline.
Administration at UT report dealing with approximately three to seven cases per school year of prescription drug abuse among students.
"I suspect there is probably more of it going on," said Terry Teagarden, assistant director for student judicial affairs.
"I know it happens," Teagarden said. "We just don't get that much of it."
The problem with finding cases of students abusing prescription drugs is it seems easier for students to hide their usage unless their behavior is out of the ordinary, said Jo Campbell, director of residence life.
"We see half of a dozen cases in a year," Campbell said. "So it's not a huge problem, but again these are the people we become aware of because of their behavior."
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