Prescription stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, and Modafinil are typically used to treat ADHD, but they’ve also become widely abused “study drugs” on high-school campuses. Recent data shows that 10 percent of sophomores and 12 percent of seniors say they have taken an amphetamine or stimulant that’s not prescribed by their doctor. But while most parents are concerned about the general problem of study drug misuse, they’re not so attuned to their own kids’ behavior: Just one in 100 parents of teens aged 13 to 17 think that their teenager has used some of these drugs, according to the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
These medications weren’t around when a lot of parents were in high school, and so moms and dads may not know how to spot the signs.
Parents’ inability to recognize when their teens are using these drugs may be partly due to generational differences. Ritalin was introduced in the 1970s, but it wasn’t nearly as widely prescribed back then as it is today. And many other common study drugs have only hit the market in the last 10 to 20 years. “These medications weren’t around when a lot of parents were in high school, and so moms and dads may not know how to spot the signs. It may seem more foreign than, say, marijuana,” says Matt Davis, M.D., a pediatrician and director of the Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
So what are the signs that parents should be alert to? “Parents have watched their teenagers go through years and years of school, and are probably pretty familiar with how their kids generally prepare for tests or papers,” says Davis. “If you see a change in your child’s behavior—they’re studying less or more than usual, they’re less or more nervous before the test than usual—use that as an excuse to start a conversation. Talk with your child about how things are going at school, and whether they feel pressure to get extra help somehow.” In addition, says Davis, when you have “the talk” about drug use in general, don’t forget to mention prescription drugs. “High schoolers are generally aware that these medications are out there, so it’s not going to shock them if you bring this up. Let them know that they can come to you if they’re being offered these drugs, or feeling pressured to take them.”
Make sure your teen knows that just because a medication is legal, doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous.
It’s also important to make sure your teen knows that just because a medication is legal, doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. “These are powerful drugs that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” says Robert Epstein, Ph.D., senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology and author of Teen 2.0. “They have side effects, just like any other medication. But the bigger question is what may happen long term. There is some evidence that some of these drugs may stunt growth, for example.” Davis concurs: “To take a drug that’s been prescribed to somebody else is dangerous, period. There’s a reason these medications are not available over the counter. They can have serious risks and side effects and interactions with other medications.”
And once teens start using study drugs, they can become dependent on them, and require larger and larger doses to get the same effect. “Over time, we’ve found that these drugs work less and less well,” says Epstein. “Studies have shown that while grades may go up at first, any benefit that users are getting slowly disappears.”
These drugs are being sold or given away by young people themselves. It’s not a bad guy drug dealer coming in—it may be your own kid.
Not to mention there’s the question of legality. While it’s perfectly legal for teens to take prescription drugs that are given to them by a doctor, “if they’re passing those same drugs around to their classmates, then that’s breaking the law, and it’s putting users at risk, too,” says Epstein. “These drugs are being sold or given away by young people themselves. It’s not a bad guy drug dealer coming in—it may be your own kid.”
One way schools are trying to cut down on misuse of study drugs is by keeping all stimulant medications in a locked or secured area, such as a nurse’s office on school grounds. That would mean that any student carrying these drugs on school grounds (whether they have a prescription or not) would be in violation of school policy. “In our poll, we found that 79 percent of parents support this type of regulation,” says Davis.
Still, as more and more children and teens are prescribed medicines for ADHD, there is an increasing chance that those medicines will be sold instead of swallowed. “We as healthcare providers need to look very carefully to make sure that we’re only prescribing these drugs for kids who really do need them,” says Davis. Epstein goes even further, saying that “It’s a serious mistake to put your teen on a study drug. There are so many downsides—long-term drug dependence, the possibility of side effects emerging in later years. I’m also a dad of teens, and I constantly ask myself: what’s the message I want to convey? One message I don’t want to convey is that drugs are the answer to every problem.”
For parents, the most important first step may be simply opening the door on this topic with your child. “We’ve found that only about a quarter of parents have spoken with their teens about this problem,” says Davis. “Parents waffle about whether they really need to bring it up, but they do!”
Help your child find ways to improve his school performance that don’t involve taking a medication.
“We know that when parents express concern and let their teens know that they care about them, that’s good for the parent and teen relationship,” Davis continues. “If you’re worried about your child having difficulties in school, you need to support him and help him find ways to improve his performance that don’t involve taking a medication.”