Drug abuse is not always tied to illegal substances. Medication that is legally prescribed to students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be abused by students looking for a stimulant.

Medication is prescribed for individuals with ADHD and other disorders — such as Attention Deficit Disorder, which is an aspect of ADHD — to help them concentrate.

Proper documentation is needed for the student to receive the prescription, said Beatrice Awoniyi, program coordinator in the dean of students office.

To get medication prescribed for ADD or ADHD at on-campus facilities, a psychoeducational evaluation must be done. The evaluation consists of four basic categories, said Dr. Mark Blaedel, staff physician at the Thielen Student Health Center, who prescribes medication to students on campus.

One category is an intelligence evaluation, which covers the ability to learn.

A crude knowledge or basic knowledge evaluation is also done, along with a psychological disorder screening. Finally, an attention evaluation tests the ability to concentrate. The test costs $600 and is not offered on campus, Blaedel said.

“I never give medication to a person who has not been tested,” he said.

The medications that are prescribed for ADHD, like Adderall and Ritalin, can be abused, he said.

The drugs are often used as stimulants by students who don’t have ADHD to help them focus or stay up all night to study.

“It’s like a super coffee,” Blaedel said.

When the dosage is abused, the effects can include accelerated heart rate, dry mouth and gastro-intestinal troubles, Blaedel said. If the medications are abused to the point that the taker develops a tolerance to the positive part of the drug, he or she will start to suffer the toxic effects and get sick, Blaedel said.

“It becomes drug abuse,” he said.

There are side effects that take place even with the proper dosage, including trouble sleeping, loss of appetite and tics, such as unusual facial and body movements, Blaedel said.

These side effects occur in both students with ADHD and those who take the drugs without a diagnosed disorder.

Currently, 252 students are receiving ADHD-related services through the disability resource center and Thielen Student Health Center on campus, but the number of students changes throughout the semester, Awoniyi said. In addition to medicine, students receive accommodations for the classroom, such as extended test times and palm pilots.

The health center prescribes a number of medications for students suffering from ADHD. Adderall and Ritalin are stimulants used to treat ADHD. Straterra is a new non-stimulant medication specifically designed for the disorder, and Welbutran is an anti-depressant that can also be prescribed for ADHD.

The stimulant medications, like Adderall and Ritalin, are prescribed in one-month intervals with no refills, Blaedel said.

Refills can be abused by people who do not suffer from ADHD, he said.

ADHD is a real disorder that affects numerous college students. Although it is commonly diagnosed in individuals when they are younger, college-aged students could have the disorder and not realize it until they leave home, Blaedel said. He said 25 percent of the ADHD sufferers on campus were not diagnosed until they got to college.