[View the story "Medicating success" on Storify ]Medicating success "Smart drugs" are a growing solution for poor academic environments. Storified by The Stream · Thu, Nov 15 2012 09:49:19
Some
doctors are attempting to level the playing field for students struggling in poor performing schools by providing minors with "cognitive enhancement drugs" that are typically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (
ADHD ). Many professionals, however, are concerned with these drugs being administered for the wrong reasons.
Below is an excerpt of the proposed diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=383AJstream
Proponents of the medicines argue that the drug can help failing students in school, whether they are afflicted with ADHD or not.
Critics are concerned that the long term effects of these drugs are not known, and
medicating a social issue fails to address the structural inequities in poor performing schools. Below is an overview of ADHD's prevalence in the US.
http://www.viceland.com/viceblog/86947121adderallinfographic.jpgAJstream
Although US children are prescribed less medication today than ten years ago, rates of ADHD prescriptions are rising significantly.
http://visual.ly/are-prescription-drugs-taking-over-classroomAJstream
It's not just minors, however, that are turning to these "cognitive enhancement drugs". ADHD medications such as Adderall and Ritalin are also increasing in popularity on university campuses.
The Adderall Generationprippman
The
infographic below estimates that 34 per cent of university students have used ADHD medication illegally.
http://visual.ly/are-prescription-drugs-taking-over-classroomAJstream
Under economic, social, and academic pressure, university students cite multiple advantages to using ADHD medication:
http://visual.ly/are-prescription-drugs-taking-over-classroomAJstream
The following videos show university students discussing the allure of study drugs like Adderall, as well as faculty members speaking on the consequences of the non-medical use of cognitive enhancers.
Adderall - The Study PillJason Williams
Despite categorisation as Schedule II Controlled Substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration, ADHD medications are often assumed to be safe, as the infographic below illustrates.
Side effects for ADHD medications often include loss of appetite and trouble sleeping.
http://visual.ly/are-prescription-drugs-taking-over-classroomAJstream
We asked our community for their thoughts on using "study drugs" to optimise poor performance in schools.
@AJStream these should not be called 'study drugs'. They help a lot of people with real disorders.swimlittlefish
@AJStream Well, what about study drugs to improve already-good school performance?hanoods
@AJStream Why not use the drugs if they want to? Need to study the side effects, but people nowadays eat anything to make them feel better.Aowen Jin/金翱文
@AJStream I don't have kids, but I'd rather have them learn and fail naturally than to be medically enhanced with pharmaceuticals.sleeplessinva
@AJStream as far as I'm concerned, medication should be a last resort option, not a cure-all. Have the child try a different teacher.Mark J. Szymanski
@AJStream Absolutely not. Despite what parents may think, poor scholastic performance is not an illness.Scott
@AJStream I used study drugs for half of my college career. I found my results improved when I quit Adderall and focused on study habits.Kyle Petersen
@AJStream There's no such thing as a drug that makes you 'smarter' - only drugs that help you retain more info to become a test-zombieCopito
Many netizens expressed discomfort with the precedent of medicating students rather than remedying the greater systemic inadequacies of schools.
@AJStream Giving someone smart pills is walking away from solving or even trying to identify the cause of poor academic performance.Maha S Y
@AJStream low-income children who dont have ADD but need xtra help should receive free tutoring paid 4 by government, rather than adderallJoseph
@AJStream Treating poor school performance using drugs is a slippery slope. We shouldn't be teaching kids to overcome challenges using drugsYahia Hassan
@AJStream Interesting how we r blaming kids for not being able 2 perform when we should be re-designing our educational sys 2 fit their needልዩ - Leyou
@AJStream little research is put into identifying kids needs or talents, we all different nothing is absolute. Focus on that not drugs!ivan chuma
@AJStream Adderall is for people with ADD, its not a performance enhancing supplement for kids who need to improve their gradesJoseph
Some netizens identified parallels between the advantages of ADHD medication on student achievement and performance enhancing drugs for athletes.
@AJStream If Amstrong lost all his titles cuz of doping, then kids getting As cuz of performance pills shud not be allowed to graduate.Sa'id Haruna
@AJStream So if 'study drugs' are allowed in order to improve poor performance, why not steroids for sportsmen? All for the greater good...Kristin
@AJStream I'd like my kid to fall cos he didn't study very hard than pass using smart pills.its like exam malpraticeOboro fomeh
