TYhe Misuse of Prescription Drugs Among College Students

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The misuse of prescription drugs among college students is a growing problem for this generation. There are more students taking non-prescribed prescription drugs for various reasons than ever before. The dangers associated with this are not well known and students do not realize the damage they are doing to themselves now, and the effects it will have on their body and mind in the future. Young people should be educated on this subject and recognize the risks they are taking by consuming these medications. Some use for recreational purposes and some simply use it to stay up late and study, not realizing that one is just as dangerous as the other. Prescription drugs are just as dangerous as street drugs and college students are misusing and abusing them without a second thought.
Partying is one of the top priorities for some that are in college. They will do anything to fit in and make new friends. Peer pressure and trying to look “cool” are very important in some people’s eyes to the point where they will try things that they wouldn’t normally try. This can lead to doing drugs, drinking, and even mixing the two. When drugs are mixed there is no way to tell what will happen or the way a certain person’s body will react. What students who use these drugs don’t think about is what could possibly happen to their bodies while on these medications. Getting high is something that a lot of college students thrive off of; it makes them feel good and makes them a more social and happier person. Prescription drugs are a fast and easy way of doing this so that is what they resort too. Most decisions to try prescription drugs for social reasons are made while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs found in a study taken at several ...

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...e students.
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Buckstein, O. G. (2008, January). Prescription drug misuse in youths: Diversion of prescription drugs by high school and college students is on the rise. Psychiatric Times, 25(1), 54-59.
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Lo, C. c., Monge, A. N., Howell, R. J., & Cheng, T. C. (2013, January). The role of mental illness in alcohol abuse and prescription drug misuse: gender-specific analysis of college students. Journal of psychoactive drugs. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.davenport.edu/10.1080/02791072.2013.763561 Holloway, K., & Bennett, T. (2012). Prescription Drug Misuse among University Staff and
Students: A Survey of Motives, Nature and Extent. Drugs: Education, Prevention &
Policy, 19(2). Retrieved November 28, 2013, from ERIC.

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