Students use Ritalin to study
Students are resorting to prescription ADHD medication to cram for exams.
And they’re getting the pills from fellow students.
Methylphenidate - more commonly known by brand names Ritalin or Rubifen - is a stimulant used to treat people suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
It is only available legally in New Zealand by prescription.
A 21-year-old Waikato University science student who spoke on the condition of anonymity has taken Ritalin occasionally to help with study.
‘‘It’s similar to the energy you get from coffee, except with coffee you get a weird hyper buzz - this is a more focused energy.’’
And the street price is similar to coffee - he was offered the pills for $5 a pop from a student who had been prescribed the medication.
In the end, he got a couple for free from a friend who had a bunch.
‘‘Reading huge textbook chapters with small print was a breeze ... I [could] speed through and understand everything first time.’’
People would be surprised by how many students take Ritalin, he said - and often it’s top-grade students.
‘‘I know lots of students who use it for study, especially around exams when they have a lot to fit in and in a short time frame.’’
The advantage wouldn’t be more than that of a study group or a strong cup of coffee, he said.
‘‘I don’t think we should be so quick to judge students [taking Ritalin] as cheaters.’’
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, it is illegal to resell a controlled drug or obtain it without prescription.
But in a survey by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, 30 per cent of respondents misused prescription drugs.
That figure rises to nearly half 49.2 per cent - when the drug is a stimulant.
Dr James Green, a pharmacy lecturer at Otago University, said there is no clear evidence that Ritalin is performance-enhancing for people without ADHD.
It would probably feel similar to drinking a very strong cup of coffee, he said.
‘‘It’s just going to make you really alert, really awake.
‘‘But it doesn’t seem to give you any kind of better ability ... It’s not going to make you better at doing maths.’’
Green, who was involved in studies involving interviews with student drug users, said users are usually male.
Around 3 per cent of students had used Ritalin for study over the last six months - mostly irregular use.
‘‘The students that are using it on the whole - they seem to be doing it quite strategically.
‘‘They’re [usually] doing it because they identify a time and a place they feel they need to do it.’’
New Zealand has similar use rates to Switzerland, Australia and the UK, but far less than in the United States, Green said.
Students might not realise how dangerous it can be, Green said. Methylphenidate reacts badly with antidepressant medications and some health conditions.
‘‘People who have things like pre-existing issues with their heart can actually be quite at risk.’’