At the end of each semester, reports show a higher drug count on college campuses nationwide as students prepare for finals. Texas Tech University officials told KLBK and EverythingLubbock.com that they face this issue at their Lubbock campus as well.
“If they already have a packed schedule, then those are late nights or early mornings or both, and they maybe need to pull a few all-nighters in a row,” TTU Addictive Disorders and Recovery Studies Instructor Dr. George Comiskey said. “That sometimes requires a little extra energy. So what we know is that there are some chemicals, legal and illegal, that they can turn to in those moments.”
Reports listed marijuana, non-prescription drugs, and cigarettes to be the top drugs students abuse during the final countdown of the semester.
Students at TTU who wish to remain anonymous said adderall is the most common and accessible drug to get ahold of from other students.
“They’re putting themselves in a really scary place because it is not prescribed to them,” Dr. Comiskey said. “Their body doesn’t know how to really fully function on that. When they come off of it, if they come off of it, it can cause some problems.”
Officials said it can create side effects like anxiety, agitation, blurred vision, and additional stress on the heart.
Dr. Comiskey said those effects can transfer to your every day life, long term.
“They flunked out of semesters because they stayed up doing this kind of work and then things crashed and on the other side of it, they’re not able to function,” Dr. Comiskey said. “So they’re not able to get up, go to class the next day. But then when they come off of it, things completely fall a part and they blow the entire semester.”
He recommended a strong support system to help cope with the stress of a heavy workload.
“You need to be able to make sure that you’re eating well, that you’re sleeping well, that you’re taking care of your brain in a natural way so it’s going to then perform for you,” Dr. Comiskey said.
