Readers of Nature journal – or at least those who have participated in their recent survey – seem to be fans of brain-enhancing drugs. One in five of them admitted to having used the drugs, without a prescription, hoping for improvements to their concentration, problem-solving skills and memory.
Alarmingly, a third of those surveyed admitted that they would feel under pressure to give the same drugs to their children, should they fall behind in class or lose ground to other students.
Last December two Cambridge University psychiatry department researchers published an article on the widespread use of brain-enhancing drugs in the academic world. According to one of those researchers, Sharon Moerin-Zamin, this is not confined to this one particular area of society. A recent government report predicted the use of such drugs would become "as common as coffee".
The Nature survey asked about respondents about their use of Ritalin, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Provigil, used to treat narcolepsy, and the blood pressure drugs beta blockers.
Of the 1,427 respondents from around the world (mostly from the US) a fifth had used the drugs without a prescription. Of those …
• 62% had used Ritalin
• 44% had used Provigil (generic name: Modafinil)
• 15% had used beta blockers such as Propranolol
Concern over the usage of these drugs was evident, with But there was also concern over the use of the drugs reflected by 86% of respondents, saying that regulations should prevent their use by healthy children under 16.
Comments (1)
Posted by Scott McArthur | April 12, 2008 6:49 PM
Given the reputation of the Ritalin treated Attention Deficit Disorder for being "Dad Deficit Disorder" some of our friends should be calling home right now!
Posted on April 12, 2008 18:49