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The Wellness Center

Prescription and Illicit Drugs

This page covers a range of prescription and illicit drugs, how they affect the body, the forms they are used in, and their major risks. These substances show up on every college campus. Knowing how they affect the body, and what to do when something goes wrong, can save a life. Many of the most serious risks come not from a single drug, but from combinations, and mislabeled or counterfeit drugs.

The most important thing to know: fentanyl risk

The illicit drug supply is increasingly contaminated with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid powerful enough to cause a fatal overdose in very small amounts. Counterfeit pills made to look like prescription opioids, Xanax, or Adderall are a common source, and fentanyl has also been found in cocaine, ketamine, and methamphetamine. You cannot see, smell, or taste it.

  • Naloxone (Narcan) rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and is safe to give even if you are not sure opioids are involved. It is available for free at vending machines in the basement of Benson and the first floor of the Learning Commons, and at the Wellness Center.
  • Fentanyl test strips can detect its presence in a substance. They are available for free, no questions asked, at the Wellness Center.
  • You can also request a free overdose prevention training, which includes naloxone, by emailing Jason Muñoz at jmunoz2@scu.edu.

 

Prescription and non-prescription opioids

  •  What they are: A class of pain-relieving depressants that includes prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine, as well as illicit opioids such as heroin and illegally manufactured fentanyl. They are found as pills, patches, powders, and liquids.
  •  Effects on the body: Opioids relieve pain and can produce a sense of warmth or euphoria, while slowing breathing, heart rate, and overall nervous system activity.
  • Major risks: Slowed or stopped breathing is what makes an opioid overdose fatal. Opioids carry a high risk of dependence, and tolerance builds quickly. The mislabeled or counterfeit drug risk above applies most acutely here.

Prescription stimulants

  • What they are: Medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse, prescribed for ADHD are sometimes misused as study aids. They are typically found as pills or capsules.
  •  Effects on the body: Stimulants increase alertness, focus, heart rate, and blood pressure, and suppress appetite and the sense of fatigue.
  •  Major risks: Strain on the heart, elevated blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, and dependence. Misuse without a prescription means the dose and your individual response are unpredictable, and counterfeit pills may contain other substances.

Sleeping and sedative medications

  • What they are: This includes prescription sleep medications such as zolpidem (Ambien); benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium), which are also prescribed for anxiety; and over-the-counter sleep aids containing diphenhydramine (Benadryl). They are usually taken as pills or capsules.
  •  Effects on the body: All are central nervous system depressants that slow brain activity to promote calm or sleep.
  • Major risks: Benzodiazepines in particular are dangerous when combined with other depressants (see interactions below) and can cause dependence and difficult withdrawal. Counterfeit benzodiazepine pills have been found to be frequently laced with fentanyl.

Cocaine

  •  What it is: A stimulant derived from the coca plant, found as a powder or as a solid “rock” form (crack).
  • Effects on the body: Cocaine produces a short, intense burst of energy and euphoria while sharply raising heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Major risks: Even in young, healthy people, cocaine can trigger heart attacks, strokes, and dangerous heart rhythms. The effects are short-lived, which encourages repeated use in a single session. Cocaine can be laced with a deadly dosage of fentanyl, and combining it with alcohol is especially hard on the heart (see below).

Ketamine

  •  What it is: A dissociative anesthetic with some legitimate medical uses, found illicitly as a powder or liquid.
  •  Effects on the body: Ketamine produces detachment from one's body and surroundings, sedation, and distorted perception. At higher doses this can become a state of near-total dissociation.
  • Major risks: Loss of motor control and awareness raises the risk of injury, and sedation combined with vomiting can lead to choking. Heavy, repeated use can cause serious bladder damage. Ketamine is dangerous when combined with other depressants.

LSD (acid)

  •  What it is: A potent hallucinogen, usually taken as small squares of blotter paper, liquid drops, or tablets.
  • Effects on the body: LSD alters perception, mood, and thought, often producing visual distortions. Its effects can last eight to twelve hours or longer.
  • Major risks: The main risks are psychological: frightening or overwhelming experiences, impaired judgment that can lead to accidents, and the potential to trigger or worsen symptoms in people vulnerable to psychosis. It can also interact dangerously with certain psychiatric medications.

Inhalants

  •  What they are: A broad group of substances whose vapors are inhaled, including solvents, aerosols, and gases, as well as nitrites (often known as “poppers”) sold as small bottles of liquid.
  •  Effects on the body: Inhalants produce a brief head rush or intoxication. Nitrites specifically cause a short head rush and relaxation of smooth muscle.
  •  Major risks: Solvents and aerosols can cause sudden cardiac arrest even on a first use, a phenomenon sometimes called “sudden sniffing death,” as well as oxygen deprivation. Nitrites (poppers) are dangerous when combined with erectile-dysfunction medications (see below).

Methamphetamine

  • What it is: A potent, long-acting stimulant found as a crystalline solid, powder, or pill.
  •  Effects on the body: Methamphetamine produces an intense and prolonged surge of energy, alertness, and euphoria while suppressing appetite and sleep.
  • Major risks: Severe cardiovascular strain, dangerously high body temperature, and a high risk of dependence. Prolonged use is associated with paranoia, psychosis, and lasting changes to mood and cognition. Like other illicit stimulants, it carries a fentanyl contamination risk.

Dangerous Drug Interactions

Many of the most serious outcomes involve more than one substance at a time. The combinations below are among the most dangerous.

  • Depressants together (opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, ketamine): These all slow breathing, and their effects stack. Combining the, for example, mixing opioids or benzodiazepines with alcohol, is the leading cause of fatal overdose, because breathing can stop even at doses that would be survivable alone.
  • Stimulants together (cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription stimulants): Combining stimulants multiplies the strain on the heart and the risk of dangerously high blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rhythm problems.
  • Cocaine and alcohol: Used together, the body forms a compound called cocaethylene, which is harder on the heart and longer-lasting than either substance alone.
  • Stimulants and alcohol: Stimulants can mask how intoxicated a person feels, making it easy to drink to dangerous levels without realizing it.
  • Poppers (nitrites) and erectile-dysfunction medications (Viagra/sildenafil): Both lower blood pressure, and together they can cause it to drop to life-threatening levels.
  • Any illicit drug and prescription or OTC medications: Substances can interact unpredictably with medications you already take, including antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs. When a substance is laced with fentanyl, those interactions become impossible to anticipate.

In an emergency

Drug emergencies generally fall into two patterns. Knowing the difference helps you respond.

Signs of an opioid overdose

  •       slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
  •       unresponsive and cannot be woken
  •       blue or gray lips, fingertips, or skin
  •       limp body, pinpoint pupils, gurgling or snoring sounds

If you suspect someone may be having an opioid overdose, give naloxone (Narcan) if it is available, call Campus EMS at 408-554-4444 (or 911 if off-campus) immediately, and place the person on their side. Naloxone is safe to use even if you don’t know if opioids are involved.

Signs of a stimulant or other drug emergency

  •  chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat
  • very high body temperature, hot skin, or heavy sweating
  • seizures, severe agitation, or confusion
  • severe anxiety or panic that does not let up

Naloxone will not reverse a stimulant emergency, but if you are unsure what someone has taken, it is still safe to give. Call for help right away.

In any of these situations, call Campus EMS at 408-554-4444. If you are off campus, call 911.

SCU’s Medical Amnesty Policy is designed to remove barriers to calling for help. Students who seek emergency assistance for themselves or others due to alcohol, cannabis, or other drug use may be protected from certain conduct consequences. When in doubt, call! We’re here to help.

SCU policy

The use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of illicit drugs, and the misuse of prescription medications, are prohibited on SCU’s campus. This applies regardless of a student’s age or any state law. For more information, please see the Student Handbook.

If you or someone you know is using these substances, or you have questions or concerns, support is available without judgment. You can schedule a Wellness Coaching session or reach out directly at jmunoz2@scu.edu.