Recreational drug, dietary supplement abuse rising

Editor's note: The students' names in this story have been changed to protect their identity. 

When coffee and pop stopped doing the trick to wake Sandy Potter* up for class in the morning, she turned to a stronger remedy. 

The sophomore finance major started taking dietary supplement pills, and they soon became a part of her daily morning routine. 

“I didn’t know what was in the pills, but I knew—or I thought I knew—there couldn’t be any risks because I didn’t even need a doctor’s prescription,” she said.

Recreational drug abuse is rising among college-aged students — from over and under the prescription counter — according to recently released data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 

Prescription ADHD medications like Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse are increasingly used by college students who haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, but dietary supplements, like Potter used, are gaining popularity among students as well.

NIDA reported 66 percent of college students use a dietary supplement at least once a week. Use of prescription stimulants is also on the rise, as 14.1 percent of college students admit to taking Adderall and Ritalin regularly without medical supervision, nearly doubling the percentages from 2008.

After three months on dietary supplements, Potter wanted to try something stronger.

“I guess I didn’t know what I was doing, but I started adding straight caffeine pills to what I took every day,” Potter said. “The kick I got was so much bigger, and I figured because there was caffeine in so many other things, it really couldn’t be that dangerous.”

However, over-consumption of caffeine or abuse of prescription drugs can have serious negative health effects in both the short and long-term, said Stephen King, a representative from the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Overuse can be as basic as headaches and escalate to issues such as heart palpitations and even, in very extreme cases, death,” King said.

For Potter, the caffeine consumption progressed further into more serious and intense doses.

Within two months, the pills lost their kick, and she moved on to taking Adderall, which is illegal when not prescribed by a doctor. 

“Adderall definitely seemed safe after doing so well with the pills I had been taking before,” she said. “When I started getting really bad headaches and migraines, though, I had to stop. It wasn’t worth it, and I started to get afraid of what could happen if I got into trouble.”

The FDA recommends when a patient is prescribed a drug for a medical condition, such as ADHD, they take the drug as directed and under a doctor's supervision.

“Medicines can cause serious side effects if not used correctly,” King said. “Incorrect use of medications, or use for non-medical reasons, can lead to abuse, addiction and serious side effects. Physician supervision and appropriate use is critical for all prescription drugs.”

The developers of Neurofuse, one of the many dietary supplement pills available, said their product contains a safe amount of all ingredients, despite a disclaimer on the bottom of the bottle that warns for users to assess their tolerance before increasing any dosages. 

Although developers said it boosts energy using a combination of legal minerals and chemicals, the supplement — which can cost upwards of $80 for one 30-pill bottle — lacks support from the Food and Drugs Administration. Because it is classified under the dietary supplement classification, Neurofuse is able to avoid FDA regulations and other precautionary entities.

Dietary supplement manufacturers must still register their facilities with the FDA, but they are not required to get federal approval before producing or selling dietary supplements like Neurofuse. 

Sandy Walsh, a press officer for the Food and Drug Administration said although Neurofuse reports that it does contain certain natural ingredients, products like this should be consumed with caution.

“If the dietary supplement contains a new ingredient, that ingredient will be reviewed by FDA — not approved — prior to marketing, but only for safety, not effectiveness,” Walsh said.

The FDA did not review Neurofuse in any capacity, Walsh said.

ADHD stimulants, like Adderall, are Schedule II substances, and are on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) list right next to cocaine, meth and morphine. Those caught using or selling the drug illegally can get up to five years in prison and $20,000 in fines, according to DEA regulations.

Peter Smith, a graduate student, said he isn't concerned about any legal risks from using Adderall. For him, easy accessibility to the so called “study drugs” makes consumption less daunting.

“I’ve used [prescription stimulants] for awhile, and I still use them quite frequently,” he said. “They help me be more enthusiastic and stay motivated while doing homework or studying, and even though they come with side effects, I wouldn't necessarily classify them as negative.”

Dietary supplements lacked the desired kick for Smith, so he chose to use Adderall, even though it made it hard to sleep and decreased his appetite. He takes the pills about three times per week during the school year, he said.

“There aren’t solid studies, to my knowledge, that can confirm there are correlations between the use of dietary supplements and later misuse of prescription stimulants, but it should warrant caution for anyone considering putting something new in their body,” Walsh said. “A safe bet for any product—don't assume that even if it may not help you, it can’t hurt you, especially if those products seem unclear or if they aren’t prescribed to you at all.”

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