While television’s “House, M.D.” may glamorize protagonist Dr. Gregory House as he diagnoses some of the world’s rarest diseases with bursts of creative insight and a bottle of Vicodin, a recent federal study shows the misuse of prescription drugs accounts for about 2.1 million emergency room visits in the country.
According to data found by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA) the number of emergency room visits related to prescription drug abuse has increased to 1,244,679 visits in 2009 from 627, 291 visits in 2004.
The findings also show that about one half of those emergency room visits in 2009 most commonly involved narcotic pain relievers like Oxycontin and Vicodin. Patients older than 21 years old comprised the majority of drug-related visits.
“There are some people who speculate that younger people tend to trust pills that are FDA approved more than they trust street drugs,” said Lisa Laitman, director of the Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program. “So they will likely minimize the negative effects because they’ll think, ‘Oh but they’re real pills, they’re legal.'”
A reason pain-killers are one of the top prescription drugs abused by college students is because they suppress breathing and other vital functions, said Robert Pandina, director for the Center of Alcohol Studies. When combined with alcohol, the drug’s sedative effects are increased.
“College is often viewed as a place for new experiences, experimentation and a mistaken belief that the ‘rules’ of both society and physical reality are suspended,” Pandina said. “There is some evidence that stress reduction may play a role as well — escaping the chaos of campus.”
SAMHSA also found that in 2008, the majority of non-medical users of prescription pain relievers — 55.9 percent — obtained their pain relievers from a friend or relative for free.
Pandina, who conducted a study about Adderall use at the University in 2007, said stimulants like Adderall and anti-anxiety medications like Xanax are some of the other prescription drugs college students abuse or misuse.
Jerry Floersch, associate professor at the School of Social Work, said he thinks the recent prevalence of people treated with psychiatric medications may be one of the reasons why psycho-stimulant abuse is also a problem on college campuses.
“Psychiatric medications are becoming a more common prescription for the general population,” Floersch said. “It also means the past couple of years have signaled the first time that such a large number of people are entering college prescribed with psychiatric medication.”
Floersch, whose research focuses on how adolescents and young adults make sense of their medication treatment, said people who use medication generally ask themselves three questions.
“What I’ve learned is that in general we make sense of our medication first by asking the questions, ‘What problem does it solve?’, ‘What is the immediate payoff?’ and ‘Do I want to take it tomorrow?'” he said.
Floersch said he thinks people who use medications without prescriptions are asking themselves similar questions, but they do not think of it in terms of a psychiatric or physical problem that must be treated. Rather, they think of it in terms of everyday life.
“Students may say to themselves, ‘I like that feeling of not being so anxious’ or ‘I had a test yesterday and I took some Adderall and I studied for five hours and time went by so quickly, I never studied like that before and it was great,'” Floersch said.
But Laitman said there is often a placebo effect with most medications. When people are asked about taking drugs, there is often the expectation the drug will give the desired effect.
“The more recent studies I’ve been reading show that those who use [psycho-stimulants like Adderall] don’t actually do better academically,” Laitman said.
In a separate study conducted by SAMHSA, it was found that in 2008 the non-medical use of pain relievers among individuals age 12 or older was second highest among illicit drugs, after marijuana.
Pandina said in addition to the increased availability of prescription medications from both licit and illicit sources, the media has also helped normalize drug use.
“We continue with the idea in our culture that self-medication is acceptable and ‘no big deal,'” Pandina said. “In many ways increased media advertising has normalized drug use and led to the false belief that as ‘educated consumers’ we are able to manage our own problems through drug use.”
School of Engineering first-year student Jordan Bunner said because there is a preconception among students that many people on campus misuse non-prescriptive medication, they may not feel it is likely to be a serious misdemeanor.
“Many people on campus may feel that [misusing non-prescriptive medication] may not be an outstanding type of thing and that it is more acceptable to do it around people who are already doing it,” he said.
Pandina said the University is always trying to increase awareness and maintain its prevention program.
“The University has maybe one of the best services in the country, The Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program, for students in our health services to assist students with drug-related issues and problems, as well as other programs that alert students to the dangers related to even ‘casual’ use of these substances,” he said.