Ritalin abuse is gaining in popularity on the UNC Wilmington campus. While local authorities still cite alcohol and marijuana as the most prevalently abused drugs on campus, recreational Ritalin abuse is increasing rapidly.

Methylphenidate, or Ritalin, as prescribed by doctors, is most often used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Research indicates that use of the drug has a calming effect for those individuals afflicted with ADHD, enabling sufferers to more effectively focus their attention.

When individuals without ADHD use Ritalin, it functions in their system as a stimulant along the lines of cocaine or amphetamines.

The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies Ritalin as a “Schedule II stimulant,” identifying it as a drug with “one of the highest potentials for abuse.” In recent years, as diagnoses of ADHD have skyrocketed in the U.S., so have incidences of recreational Ritalin abuse.

Vicki Hallman, a researcher for CROSSROADS, an organization that disseminates drug and alcohol abuse information on the UNCW campus, said many students are using the drug as a “study aid” to help combat fatigue. Recently, the journal CQ Researcher reported incidences of college students in other areas of the country abusing Ritalin for the euphoric high, coupling it with alcohol to counteract the typical “drowsy” effects that accompany drinking.

Hallman said she was unaware of this type of abuse widely affecting UNCW, but offered that it would definitely be a concern of the highest order.

Part of the problem stems from Ritalin’s wide availability. Not only are prescriptions rampant on campus, but it’s relatively inexpensive, reputed to go for only $2 to $5 per pill. Add the fact that Ritalin is considered a “legal” drug, and it is understandable how its misuse might be characterized as socially acceptable.

Though Ritalin abuse is becoming more prevalent, the effects are still extremely dangerous. Typically, abusers do not ingest the pills orally as prescribed. Instead, they may opt to crush them up and snort them, or dissolve the tablets in water and inject them.

Hallman said that these types of misuses could have harmful side effects. She noted that apart from the problems associated with addiction, these methods of ingestion have shown evidence “leading to emphysema, cardiopulmonary arrest and even death.” The danger lies in that Ritalin can be both “physically as well as psychologically addicting, ” Hallman said.

The DEA cites other side effects including “dizziness, insomnia, nervousness, headaches, and loss of appetite.”

There may be hope for the future, though. Kary Symons, a substance abuse counselor who works specifically with adolescents at the treatment facility Coastal Horizons, suggested that while she had seen a significant rise in incidences of Ritalin abuse over the past few years, it seems to have “leveled off” a bit.

“Previously, I had begun to think of Ritalin as the new ‘in’ drug for the year 2000,” rivaling inhalants for their upsurge in popularity, Symons said.

This “leveling off” may be attributable to advances made in the technology of the drug. Newsweek has reported that Concerta, a new form of the drug, is manufactured from a paste rather than a powder, which renders it practically useless to abusers with penchants for snorting.

For students who suspect they might have a problem with Ritalin abuse or any other drug, help on campus is readily available. Free counseling is offered on the second floor of Westside Hall, and information concerning all forms of drug and alcohol use and abuse may be obtained from CROSSROADS, directly across the hall.