As the rate of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs increases across the country, more and more communities, including our DePaul community, are focused on ways to provide support and resources.

The prevalence of these drugs on college campuses in particular continues to be of utmost importance to address, and DePaul University is among those schools intent on providing the necessary education and prevention efforts to better support the university community. We are grateful to the DePaulia for starting this important conversation and we see this as an opportunity to shed light on our prescription drug use challenges and the extensive campus resources that are available.

Health Promotion and Wellness and University Counseling Services are some of the on-campus resources that directly address this issue and offer support for students.

Many of us take prescription drugs safely, as prescribed, and find their use beneficial in managing our health and well-being. There is a common misperception the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs is not as dangerous as other illicit drugs, due primarily to the fact they are FDA-approved and legally prescribed by medical professionals.

Students often express how prescription drugs can be helpful when there is a need to focus or to combat anxiety. However, unless the user is under the care and observation of a medical professional who prescribed the drugs, then such use not only is illegal but also comes with a much higher health risk.

The common belief that stimulants, like Adderall, help with academic success has been contradicted by research studies. These drugs can also become addictive and seriously impede academic success, or even lead to other drug use to help medicate the side effects. Xanax is a sedative prescribed to help manage severe anxiety symptoms; this leads some to overuse or misuse as a way to self-medicate. It is highly addictive and should be monitored by a physician, as it can cause withdrawal seizures if someone who has been on it suddenly stops.

More importantly, when drugs are taken together with alcohol, marijuana or other drugs,  whether they are prescribed or otherwise, there is often a compounding effect, which means the body’s response can be intensified and at higher risk of serious medical issues.

Knowing when and how to support friends who choose to use can be extremely complicated, especially because it can be so difficult to identify signals that there is a problem.

Studies show about half of undergraduate students nationwide who have been prescribed stimulant medications have been asked to sell or trade their prescription within the past year. While it may seem like someone is being helpful by sharing their medication, it can be a potentially harmful act. We want to remind our students if they start to have concerns about their friends’ use of prescription medications, or feel pressured to share their medications, they have resources available both on and off campus.

As an alcohol and substance abuse prevention specialist, I welcome opportunities to educate students, as well as faculty and staff, who have concerns or questions related to substance use. The office of Health Promotion and Wellness also provides support to students who may be struggling with substance misuse or abuse. We can connect students to resources off campus that might be helpful in further addressing related issues.

Students also have access to University Counseling Services, which can be a great resource to talk about stressors and learning more effective ways of coping with the demands and pressures many students report that they experience.

There is more information on our website at https:studentaffairs.depaul.edu/hpw/. To stay updated on future programs or other related opportunities to learn more about prescription drug misuse and abuse, follow @healthydepaul on Twitter and Instagram, and HPWDePaul on Facebook.

The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs at DePaul is an important concern and we encourage everyone in our community to know more about the support and resources we have available. We are committed to continuing this conversation and we encourage students to join us.

Kate Lower is the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist at DePaul University.