But energy and enhanced performance are packaged in pill form as well – and not just for professional athletes looking to add muscle to their muscle. The bank officer, the advertising executive and even good old mom have turned to the power of a pill to get them over the top.

It’s a sad fact that the most abused drugs on college campuses today are medicines initially intended to help children with ADHD. Medications such as methylphenidate and amphetamine/ dextroamphetamine were created to aid children with the disorder so that they could participate in regular classrooms.

Today, college campuses are awash in drugs like Adderall, the very same medicine used to treat childhood ADHD. College students are using the drugs to focus more intently during study and improve their ability to get schoolwork completed. As bad as it is, the abuse doesn’t end with college graduation.

Many 20-somethings fresh out of college are taking their drug habit with them into the workplace. It’s a competitive climate and young college grads are finding it particularly difficult to get work. It isn’t surprising that they are fueling their need to outperform others in the office the same way they juiced up their academic performance – with prescription medications.

Studies say that 11 to 15 percent of post-graduates continue to abuse drugs like modafinil (brand name Provigil) once they enter the workplace. Increased ability to focus, more stamina and ramped up productivity keep young professionals popping pills never prescribed to them.

Provigil is another example of a drug designed to help people in a narrowly defined group. The medication has been approved to "improve wakefulness" for those who battle narcolepsy, sleep apnea and shift-work sleep disorder. It is available over the Internet with no prescription. Sales of the mood-brightening, memory-enhancing drug have more than doubled in recent years. But have these specific health conditions tripled?

Sadly, even moms who’ve chosen the at-home career path are buying into the drug-enhanced culture. Tagged as "cosmetic neurology," moms are taking mind- and performance-boosting medications they obtain through legal and illegal channels. Some studies show that the presence of stimulants within the United States has more than tripled over the last decade.

While many are looking for the glad super-pill, some seek out the sad. More and more, people (mostly women) who have never received a clinical diagnosis for anxiety are being prescribed anti-anxiety medications to help them face stressful situations. Drugs like lorazepam, alprazolam and clonazepam are replacing the "take a deep breath" and think positively approach to staring down unpleasant circumstances.

In the old days, medicine was used to make sick people well. Now, people are on the hunt for pills to make well people even better. People looking for the power to outperform their office mates, moms who want something to motor them through never-ending lists of chores at home, and anyone seeking to add some sparkle to their social interactions – all are looking into the medicine cabinet to find ways to "improve" themselves. Small wonder this generation has been termed Generation Rx.

The rising problem of college-aged students with gambling addictions is the topic of recent news from the Oregon Daily Emerald, published at the University of Oregon. The article says that around two-thirds of college students participated in gambling in the past twelve months, either legally or underage. Activities ranged from placing bets on sporting events, visiting casinos, playing poker or card games, online games or playing the lottery – and all can cause students’ serious financial problems, poor academic performance, high levels of stress and emotional and mental health problems.

It’s a problem repeated across the country. The National Center for Responsible Gambling (NCRG) says around six percent of college-aged students are living with life-destructive gambling addictions or compulsive gambling behaviors. While colleges work to educate students on the dangers of smoking and alcohol, experts fear they may be missing the mark on addressing addictive gambling.

In response, the NCRG has launched an online resource, CollgeGambling.org, which offers help to students, their families and educators as they work to stop addictive gambling. Experts hope more attention on the subject of compulsive and addictive gambling will help spare students the emotional, financial and academic consequences, as well as prevent them from carrying a gambling addiction with them when they leave college.

A new study says that the young people turning 21 might need more guidance, before they become a legal drinker, in how to moderate the amount of alcohol they consume. Released in May, the study explains that many of those celebrating their 21st birthday consume more alcohol than planned.

The researchers recruited 150 individuals attending a southwestern university. The students reported that they planned to drink for their 21st birthday, but they consumed more than they had anticipated.

More than two-thirds, or 68 percent, of the individuals turning 21 consumed more alcohol than they had planned. Those who underestimated their drinking had anticipated drinking an average of 7 drinks at their birthday celebration. They consumed, on average, 12 drinks at their party.

The researchers discovered that students who consumed more alcohol than they planned were more likely to drink faster and to drink more shots than those who were accurate in their estimates for alcohol consumption. 55 percent of the students studied reported that they had consumed free shots in bars.

Students who drank more than they had planned were also more likely to have participated in 21st birthday party games. The students often were celebrating in bars where popular 21st birthday traditions included games like drinking 21 shots or drinking at midnight. These parties were also more likely to include influential peers who encouraged the individual turning 21 to drink.
This type of party atmosphere is popular among college students turning 21. Overall, 60 percent of the birthday parties involved one or more 21st birthday drinking traditions, and 61 percent of the parties had one or more influential peers present.
With so many college students choosing to participate in these types of birthday celebrations, it may be helpful to target students with education about how to prevent underestimating the amount of alcohol they will consume on their birthdays.

Strategies can be taught for students to know how to avoid being pressured to drink too much alcohol on their 21st birthdays. They may be caught in an embarrassing situation if they resist the efforts of their friends to have a memorable 21st birthday.
 

Research into this area also revealed that more than one third of 11-year-old boys have consumed alcohol. Brain development experts are becoming alarmed, claiming an entire generation of young people is destroying their chance of reaching their full potential. In fact, cases of alcohol-related harm overall in Victoria have risen 77 percent from 1995 to 2005.

Many are pointing to liberal licensing laws as the cause of this epidemic of alcohol-fuelled injury and violence. As a result, family groups and adolescent experts are calling for the legal drinking age to be raised to 21.

Victoria Police statistics found that assaults in Melbourne rose 44 percent to close to 2,500 cases a year. Cases for hospitalization due to alcohol-related harm more than doubled from 11,571 to 23,144 between 1995 and 2005. In addition, the number of licensed premises in Victoria increased from 2,000 to 24,000.

Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg, adolescent psychologist, believes a rise in the drinking age is long overdue and cited the decrease in alcohol-related harm that occurred when the age was raised in Washington D.C.

Gabrielle Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Australian Family Association, asked for controls to be put on the spread of licensed venues. She also recommended a consideration in moving the legal drinking age to 21.

The concern for underage drinking – especially underage binge drinking – is very real. Already there has been a sharp rise in the number of women in their 20s being diagnosed with alcohol-acquired brain injury.

Science Daily reports that the study found that smoking one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18- to 30-year-olds by 25 percent. Arteries that are stiff or rigid increase resistance in the blood vessels, making the heart work harder. The stiffer the artery, the greater the risk for heart disease or stroke.

"Young adults aged 20-24 years have the highest smoking rate of all age groups in Canada," says Dr. Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre.

"Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries. This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise," she continued.

The study compared the arterial stiffness of young smokers (five to six cigarettes a day) to non-smokers. The median age was 21 years. Arterial measurements were taken in the radial artery (in the wrist), the carotid artery (in the neck), and in the femoral artery (in the groin), at rest, and after exercise.

Arterial stiffness in both smokers and non-smokers was measured using a new but well-established method called applanation tonometry. Dr. Daskalopoulou introduced the “arterial stress test,” which measures the arteries’ response to the stress of exercise. The test is comparable to a cardiac stress test, which measures the heart’s response to the stress of exercise.

"In effect we were measuring the elasticity of arteries under challenge from tobacco," explains Dr. Daskalopoulou.

An initial arterial stress test was carried out to establish a baseline measurement for both the non-smokers and the smokers, who were asked not to smoke for 12 hours prior to the test. After the first meeting, smokers returned and smoked one cigarette each and then repeated the stress test. During the final meeting, smokers were asked to chew a piece of nicotine gum prior to the stress test.

Dr. Daskalopoulou found that after exercise the arterial stiffness levels in non-smokers dropped by 3.6 percent. Smokers, however, showed the reverse: after exercise their arterial stiffness increased by 2.2 percent. After nicotine gum, it increased by 12.6 percent. After one cigarette, it increased by 24.5 percent.

Interestingly, there was no difference in the arterial stiffness measurements between smokers and non-smokers at rest.

"In effect, this means that even light smoking in otherwise young healthy people can damage the arteries, compromising the ability of their bodies to cope with physical stress, such as climbing a set of stairs or running to catch a bus," says Dr. Daskalopoulou.

"It seems that this compromise to respond to physical stress occurs first, before the damage of the arteries becomes evident at rest," she continues.

"More than 47,000 Canadians will die prematurely each year due to tobacco use, which often starts in the teen years," warns Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson.

"We know that over 90 percent of teenagers who smoke as few as three to four cigarettes a day may be trapped into a lifelong habit of regular smoking, which typically lasts 35 to 40 years."

Smoking contributes to the build up of plaque in the arteries, increases the risk of blood clots, reduces the oxygen in the blood, increases blood pressure, and makes the heart work harder. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke.

The survey found that most people check Facebook and Twitter a couple times a day. But when looking at people under age 35, Retrevo found that 27% of this age group checks Facebook more than 10 times a day. Fifty-six percent said they visit the site 1 to 10 times a day, and 17% said they never look at the site.

Retrevo asked a sample of 771 gadget-savvy individuals about how much they used social media in various settings, such as while driving, at work, on vacation, and even on a date. Those older than 35 spent a reasonable amount of time checking in on social media services, while those younger than 25 spent a great deal of time texting and visiting social sites.

For example, 36 percent of the younger set said they texted or checked Facebook after sex, while only 8 percent of the older set did the same. Forty percent of the younger people admitted to texting or checking Facebook while driving compared to 9 percent of the older people.

At work, 64 percent of the under-35s text or surf the web, while 28 percent of over-35s do the same. Thirty-four percent of the younger set texted or went online while on a date, compared to 9 percent of the older set. Finally, 65 percent of the younger people texted or checked social sites while on vacation, compared with 41 percent of older people.

In the Gadgetology study, it was found that younger people tend to check social networking sites using their mobile phone, while those 35 and over prefer to use a computer. Only 19 percent of the older set use a phone as their preferred online device, while 81 percent of them use a computer. On the other hand, 46 percent of those under 35 use a mobile device to go online, and 54 percent use a computer.

Surprisingly, Twitter seems to be a worse influence than Facebook. Among respondents under age 35, 27 percent of those who use Facebook say they check it more than 10 times a day compared to 39 percent of Twitter users checking in on Twitter more than 10 times a day.

In addition, it was found that men are twice as likely to text or Tweet after sex than women. Those who own iPhones are three times more likely to go online after sex than Blackberry owners.

Since Rohypnol and other so-called “date rape drugs” and club drugs like GHB and ketamine were first introduced into the U.S. in the early 1990s, young women and girls (and young men as well) have increasingly fallen victim to date rape. Don’t be a victim! Protect yourself by following these tips.

• Educate Yourself – Learn about the dangers of date rape and club drugs. What are their effects? What do they look like? Use sites such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), www.abovetheinfluence.com and many others. Do a Google search on “date rape drugs” and you will find numerous links. Start with the NIDA site first, though (www.drugabuse.gov).

• Pour Your Own Beverages – Never allow someone else to pour your drinks. Pour everything you consume yourself. No falling for the “Can I freshen your drink?” by a friend. If you are in a restaurant or bar, only permit the waitress or bartender to pour and bring you your drink.

• Never Leave Your Drink – Don’t leave your drink unattended even if you have to go to the restroom or go out for a smoke or fresh air. If you do have to leave, get a fresh drink on your return. Maybe it costs you a little more money, but you’ll have the security of knowing it wasn’t tampered with while you were gone.

• Never Sip a Drink You Left Unattended – Don’t be tempted to just sip from a drink you’ve left unattended – not even for a few minutes. It only takes a second or two for someone to slip a date rape drug into your drink – and then it’s too late.

• Cover Your Drink – Especially in crowded areas, like dance floors and popular bars or parties, keep your fingers or hand over the top of your drink. This will foil anyone trying to slip a date rape drug into it without your knowledge.

• Avoid Punchbowls – Never pour, ladle or consume drinks from a large open container, such as a punchbowl or pitcher. Even kegs can be doctored with date rape drugs. Steer clear.

• Don’t Switch Drinks – Even if someone says, “You have to try this,” – politely refuse. Never switch or trade any drinks with someone else.

• Watch Out For Strange Behavior – If your friends act or appear to be more intoxicated than what they’ve had to drink would normally account for, pay close attention. If your friend – or you – are intoxicated after you’ve only had a few sips or very little to drink, take your friend, or get help to immediately go to the emergency room.

• Steer Clear of Anyone Joking about Date Rape Drugs – Anyone who makes a joke or kids about date rape drugs is a potential threat. Stay away from that individual and leave that location. Make a note of who the person is, including description, just in case there’s trouble later. Even if this is someone you know well, you don’t know everyone that well. Don’t take any chances. Besides protecting yourself, you may be able to protect someone else as long as you pay attention to details.

• Beware Intrusion on Your Personal Space – If someone appears to be moving a little too close, intruding on your personal space, especially a date, who may not respect your boundaries, move away and tell them to back off. Be polite and respectful, but firm. You don’t want to permit anyone access to slip you a date rape drug.

• Buddy System – It’s not just for going in the water. The buddy system is valuable for protection from sexual predators as well. Check in with each other every 20 minutes. If something weird or strange happens, leave the location immediately.

• Stay Together – Although the buddy system is good, sticking together with your friends is even better. People who seek to sexually assault women are generally looking for the loner, someone whom they can easily approach and get off to themselves. Parties of two or more help to discourage this kind of unwanted attention.

• Contact Police – If you recognize or see a drug or packaging at a party or other location, leave immediately and contact police with details.

• Designated Driver – It’s always best to have a non-drinking friend with you. This person can help get you out of there if something happens to you such as becoming the victim of a date rape drug. Time is of the essence here. Date rape drugs take effect within minutes of ingestion.

• Avoid Raves – Never go to raves or all-night dance clubs and parties. You’re just putting yourself in harm’s way. These are places where people go to do more than just dance. Illicit street drugs are all over the place. If you’re not immediately affected, you could still be in danger due to the violent behavior, paranoia and intoxication that these drugs pose in the other attendees.

• Don’t Talk to Older Men – This may sound odd, but it’s really not. Many times you may be in a place that’s unfamiliar, and someone will start talking with you that seems at first harmless. They may look like a businessman, your uncle, or neighbor. They may truly be just looking for conversation, but that’s been a disastrous mistake many young and unsuspecting women made. Protect yourself and don’t talk to these men.

• If Your Drink Tastes Odd – Maybe you’ve stayed with your drink and done your best to protect it, but if it tastes odd, it may be a sign that someone has tampered with it. Gather your friend and leave that place immediately. Watch for signs of further intoxication (without reason), and get to an emergency room.

• Recognize the Signs – If you, or someone with you, have been slipped a date rape drug, there are certain signs to look out for. The individual will appear more intoxicated with very little or no alcoholic intake. They may be dizzy, uncoordinated, and unable to speak properly. They may appear to be falling asleep.

• Discuss the Effects with Your Friends – Make sure that all your friends are equally aware of the signs of date rape drug effects and watch out for each other.

• Have an Escape Plan in Place – Before you go anywhere with your friends, or alone, be sure you have an escape plan in place. This can be a simple as a pre-arranged phrase that lets your friends know there’s danger and you have to leave. It can also mean you call 911 or have a designated driver to get you away safely. Knowing what to do in case of an emergency – and the danger of being slipped a date rape drug certainly qualifies – will better prepare you in the event you have to move quickly.

For many, this is more than just celebration and turns into a significant problem. According to a Science Daily report, more than 500,000 college students suffered alcohol-related injuries in 2001. This cited study examined the “dose-response” effect of quantities and frequencies and found that heavy drinkers with a sensation-seeking disposition had the greatest risk of alcohol-related injuries.

“In the United States, most – as in 70 percent – of college students have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and 40 percent of students have engaged in heavy drinking in the past two weeks,” said Marlon P. Mundt in the Science Daily piece. Mundt is assistant scientist in the department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and corresponding author for the study.

“More than 1,700 U.S. college students aged 18-24 died from alcohol-related injuries in 2001,” he added. “Approximately 2.8 million U.S. college students drove under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months, and 600,000 U.S. college students were hit or assaulted by a student who was under the influence of alcohol.”

This particular study examined the combined “dose-response” effects of drinking quantities and frequencies on college alcohol-related injury risk. Mundt and his team found that those students who drank 8+ drinks for males and 5+ drinks for females at least four days per month were five times more likely to be injured than those who did not cross this drinking threshold.

Mundt highlighted that in order to tackle the drinking challenge on campus, administrators, parents and clinicians need to examine more than just quantities or frequency of consumption alone as they do not show the whole picture.