Prescription stimulants are an alternative to coffee for some students to acquire the ability to focus and stay awake for long periods, especially when midterms and final examinations are under way.

“Students take stimulants like Ritalin to stay awake,” said Kamal Harb, health educator at the SF State Student Health Center.

Ritalin, as well as Adderall, is a stimulant prescribed to people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD.

“It works the opposite,” said Merrie Lee Irwin, a clinic coordinator and test librarian, about what medication for ADHD does to people who are not diagnosed with ADHD. “It would speed you up.”

According to the 2004 Monitoring the Future Survey of College Students and Adults, 7.4 percent of college students used a prescription painkiller without a prescription in that year, up from 6.9 percent in 2002, with similar increases for stimulants and sedatives.

And according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released in December 2006, in 2005 more than 53 percent out of 4 million young adults ages 18 to 24 obtained the pain relievers free of charge from a friend or relative.

But the reckless use of prescription drug abuse can cause secondary effects or could result in irreversible damage, according to Harb.

Harb said that drugs interact with each other and when the chemicals mix up they produce a synergistic effect.

“For example, antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills, or alcohol taken with a sedative can result in a coma,” Harb said.

About 3 percent of SF State students, out of a reference group of 93,679 students from 197 institutions, reported the use of amphetamines when they voluntarily participated in the Core Alcohol and Drug survey funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This is according to data provided by Bita Shooshani, interim coordinator at Creating Empowerment through Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education program, CEASE.

CEASE is a program that provides preventive information about alcohol and other drugs, counseling, assessment and referrals, according to Karla Castillo, prevention education specialist at CEASE.

“We help students find on-campus and off-campus resources,” Castillo said. “Faculty and staff are provided with retreat programs on drug and alcohol abuse.”

SF State’s 2006-2007 Bulletin says that students and faculty and staff members must comply with local, state and federal law regarding illegal drugs on campus. Students and employees will face disciplinary actions if they fail to follow the rules.

Students may face probation, suspension or dismissal from the university if they manufacture, distribute, possess or use illegal drugs or illegal use of alcohol.

Employees found to be in violation of university policy may be subject to corrective action up to and including dismissal, or be required to participate in an approved counseling or rehabilitation program.

“Sanctions on reported students depend on their cases,” Castillo said. “If an under-age student is caught smoking or drinking, he needs to complete a three-session counseling.”