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Study drugs: an academic arms race

Roman Goldstein

Issue date: 2/28/05 Section: Forum

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Media Credit: Yu Araki

According to the free market, the value (to a student) of a nearly complete night of studying is $30. How did I arrive at this figure? Sophomore year, I was prescribed Ritalin, a mental stimulant, to counter the effects of some other medications I was on. The side effects were too unpleasant, and I ended up not using most of the bottle. Somebody found out I had leftovers, and soon a couple acquaintances offered me $30 per pill. I declined, of course, and threw the pills away.

Ritalin is often prescribed to help ADD/ADHD children concentrate on their work. Even for people without ADD/ADHD, it is a stimulant, making it easier to stay awake and concentrate.

The appeal to students is obvious: a dose of Ritalin can help you stay up all night studying, with reduced need for breaks to relax the mind. The people that asked me for Ritalin were studying for exams, and wanted an edge in their preparation. And rather than study regularly for that edge, they found it easier and more convenient to pop a stimulant for a couple nights before their exams.

They're not alone. A study from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor found that three percent of the student body had illegally used Ritalin in the past year (2,250 students participated in the study). Men and women reported equal levels of use.

Based on my informal research, students are taking one of three types of study drugs. First, there are the methylphenidates: Ritalin and its stronger, longer-acting brother Concerta. They are similar in many ways to cocaine. Next, there's Adderall, an amphetamine chemically related to crystal meth that has a high potential for addiction and abuse. Finally, we have Provigil, which is not a traditional stimulant; it promotes wakefulness and possibly boosts memory, but doesn't aid concentration.

Generally speaking, I'm not so worried about the side effects of these drugs; if students want to take the risk, it's their body. What really concerns me is the potential that Provigil, Concerta and Adderall will become one more advantage rich students have over poor students.

Performance enhancing drugs have long been part of college academic life. Caffeine has been around and consumed as a stimulant for centuries. For the really needy (i.e., medical students), there was speed.

Continued...

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derp

posted 2/05/08 @ 1:48 PM CST

Provigil sucks, just makes you awake , not focusedd, and spcy and confused towards the end. Adderal?riatlin are great for math etc. Personally I don't enjoy the feeling of any of these, I'd hate to resort to that but got a free Provigil sample @ doc and , yeah it's glorified cafeine, that last way to long!!

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alcohol treatment

posted 5/16/08 @ 12:00 PM CST

Doping is considered to be unethical by most international sports organizations and especially the International Olympic Committee. The reasons are mainly the health threat of performance-enhancing drugs, the equality of opportunity of the athletes and the exemplary effect of "clean" (doping-free) sports in the public. (Continued…)