National Post - Academic doping on the rise
A mild form of amphetamine, or speed, Adderall is usually prescribed to patients suffering from attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Increasingly, though, Adderall, Ritalin and other ADHD medications have become favourites of healthy students, who believe the drugs’ stimulant properties can sharpen their minds while cramming for tests and writing essays.
The idea of using the pills for non-medical “cognitive enhancement,” though seemingly common in the U.S., has until recently been discussed and debated as a largely theoretical issue in Canada. Evidence is slowly emerging, though, that the phenomenon is becoming entrenched on campuses across the country […]
Actual statistics on the extent of the situation are still hard to come by. But a recent random survey of 400 students by Ď㽶ĘÓƵ suggested 5.4% had used one of the “study drugs” for cognitive enhancement at least once, though fewer had done so recently, said Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier, McGill’s health services director. Some estimates are much higher.
