It’s exam time! Can smart drugs make you smarter at this testing time?
While a cup of strong coffee is probably the choice of drink for most people studying for exams, perhaps coupled with a healthy diet, some exercise and sleep, many students will be taking something stronger and, it’s claimed, more effective.
So-called ‘brain steroids’ or ‘smart drugs’ can be purchased on campuses, or off the internet, for a few pounds. By improving concentration, attention, memory and alertness, students are increasingly using them to study longer and perform better during exams. A report by The Academy of Medical Sciences in 2008 showed that even a small 10% improvement in a memory score could lead to a higher A-level grade or degree class, which is a big improvement.
Provigil, also known as modafinil, is licensed in Britain to treat tiredness associated with the rare sleeping disorders narcolepsy and sleep apnoea. It can easily be purchased online. It gives a sensation of natural wakefulness for hours at a time, without the jittery buzz and disrupted sleep associated with caffeine.
Another popular choice is Ritalin, originally designed as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both these drugs increase levels of dopamine levels in the brain, and the alertness and wakefulness of those taking them.
The journal Nature found large-scale use within academia as a whole, not just among students. Of 1,600 academics from 60 countries, one in five had used ‘smart drugs’ for non-medical reasons.[1]
Frequent news articles cite students who have used ‘smart drugs’ before and during exam times. See, for example, here, here and here.
It is not only students using these drugs.
The Ministry of Defence is a user. The MoD apparently bought more than 24,000 Provigil pills according to figures released in 2004. Military purchases of Provigil peaked with an order for more than 5,000 pills in 2001, the year Allied forces entered Afghanistan. The next largest order – for more than 4,000 pills – was delivered in 2002, the year before troops entered Iraq.
The stimulant, Adderall, available in the US, has been used by athletes to enhance their reaction time, energy levels and performance, (but has led to some NFL players being suspended).
In the UK Provigil is apparently being investigated as an aid to maintain surgeons’ performance during lengthy, complex operations.
Some people regularly use cognitive enhancers to compete in their normal work and study environments, to help them overcome the stress, pressures and fatigue of a jetsetting and 24/7 society.
If these ‘smart drugs’ are a quick fix which helps us function better in our daily lives, then what could be the problem with them?
Are they really that different to a double espresso or pro plus pill?
Or are they more akin to illegal recreational drug use?
Is taking them cheating?
Will students who don’t want to take them start to feel coerced into doing so because everyone else is?
Will students using them miss out on learning discipline, perseverance, hard graft, personal effort and perhaps failure?
Will their use undermine personal achievements?
Are there side effects?
Are they addictive? (psychologically as well as physically)
The truth is, at this point we do not really know the answers to these questions. There are certainly warnings about the addictive properties and side effects of these compounds. No one really understands the consequences of long-term use of stimulants on the developing brain (which is particularly concerning as some of the most frequent users are young people). At present, there is only scant data about off-label use.
The makers of Provigil warn of significant side effects such as heart problems, high blood pressure, skin reactions, serious allergic reactions, psychiatric symptoms. And the more you take, the greater your risk of being affected and seriously harmed. We also know that the brain is a complex organ and a drug that improves performance in one aspect may hinder it in another. And we know that the effects of these drugs are short lived and may be limited.
In fact, some of the effects of their use may not be quite what was intended or hoped for.
One student says that rather than starting his essay after taking a pill, he instead organised his entire music library! He has seen others obsessively cleaning their rooms on it, not revising hard. The essays he wrote while on ‘smart drugs’ tended to be long-winded, with two pages given to creating an ‘airtight argument’ where a couple of sentences would have sufficed.
Is it possible to regulate these drugs?
Could GP’s or pharmacists become gatekeepers to accessing them?
Should universities and work places have policies on the use of these drugs, guidance on what is acceptable and what is not?
Again, difficult questions. Regulation of these drugs is certainly desirable, but not straightforward and, in practice, it is likely to be difficult to restrict access to cognition enhancers because most are too easily purchased off the internet. But if there are no restrictions on their use, people will keep taking them to pass their exams and to stop getting tired.
I have explored in more detail in another article some of the dilemmas facing us today with these popular smart drugs, and have considered what a Christian response might be.
Christians understand that humans are of value not because of what we can do but who we are, made in the Image of God. Christians will also have a different perspective on achievement and performance. ‘But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.’ (1 Timothy 6:11) God loves us as ourselves in our weakness, not strength. ‘God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise’. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
Technology, science and pharmaceuticals may all undoubtedly bring us benefits but will often come with real costs attached. We need God’s wisdom to weigh these up.
In the meantime, there are still the traditional, less risky yet still proven remedies for improving brain function for exams: a healthy diet, some exercise and sleep.
[1] Maher, B., “Poll Results: Look Who’s Doping.” Nature 452 (2008): 674-675
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