Multimedia Design Major
Most University students don’t realize that the sale of prescription amphetamines carries the same consequences as cooking and distributing methamphetamine, according to the Eugene Police Department.
Ryan Kling, a 19-year-old multimedia design major, discovered this when he was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance II, a class B felony, after the EPD conducted a consent search of his residence hall room on campus.
Police determined that he had been reselling legally obtained amphetamine in the form of Adderall and dextroamphetamine sulfate, drugs commonly used to treat attention deficit disorder, according to an EPD release.
Kling, who is no longer residing in Boynton Hall, according to University Housing, declined to comment.
EPD spokeswoman Kerry Delf said the officers who work the University area wanted to publicize Kling’s arrest in an attempt to emphasize to students the serious penalties that may arise from the unauthorized resale or purchase of prescription drugs. Delf said many students take pills in order to concentrate on their studies and consider it a minor offense.
“The abuse of Adderall in the belief that it will help with studying seems to be an increasing problem,” said Delf. Any case in which a person is caught selling amphetamines will result in arrest and the person will face felony charges, she said.
University Housing Director Mike Eyster said that “hopefully anyone who was confused about that will gain an understanding from this situation.”
According to the press release, the pills are usually resold for about $20 each, even though they may be fairly inexpensive to the
prescription holder.
Delf also pointed out that the consequences are further reaching than jail time and fines. A felony record follows a person throughout his or her life. In addition, students with felony drug charges are not eligible for financial aid, she said.
The charge for possessing another person’s amphetamine prescription carries the same charge as possessing methamphetamine. It is a class C felony.
Aside from potential felony charges for illegally using drugs like Adderall, there are also substantial health risks. So substantial, that on Feb. 9, Health Canada announced on its official Web site that it was withdrawing the drug from the Canadian market in light of information “concerning the association of sudden deaths, heart-related deaths, and strokes in children and adults taking the usual recommended doses of Adderall and Adderall XR.”
In addition to increasing concentration, Adderall has many other effects on the body, including elevation of blood pressure, impotence, insomnia, dizziness, headache, euphoria, diarrhea and overstimulation.
