Will Irish students follow their US counterparts by using neuro-enhancing drugs in the run-up to exams?
‘STUDY DRUGS” are an established feature of American campus life and there is increasing evidence to suggest that pressured employees are using neuro-enhancing drugs to improve performance in the workplace.
These drugs, which are prescribed to treat disorders such as ADHD and narcolepsy, have also been found to increase concentration and energy for specific tasks.
American children who grew up on drug treatments for disorders such as ADHD are finding that when they reach third level, and beyond, their prescribed bottle of Ritalin or Adderall is a prized commodity.
These drugs, as well as the narcolepsy treatment Modafinil, are now widely used “off-label” in the US, especially by students hoping to boost their study performance and employees seeking a competitive edge.
"All through college I took Ritalin in the weeks coming up to my exams. I would take a pill, stay up for 14 hours studying, then take another and sit the exam. Then I'd sleep. It was common practice on campus," a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi told The Irish Times. This graduate would buy from other students who got prescribed Ritalin to treat symptoms of ADHD and sold them on for about $5 a pill.
Is there any evidence that these drugs are being used in Irish universities or workplaces?
Dr Ciara Kelly, a GP in Co Wicklow, believes that while there is likely to be some abuse of neuro-enhancing drugs in Ireland, it is on a very small scale. She cautions against patients experimenting with these drugs.
“In some users, Ritalin has been linked with anxiety, raised blood pressure and palpitations. There are probably users who boost their concentration and energy levels without any negative side effects, but for other users the effect could be disastrous,” she says.
Modafinil (often sold under the name Provigil) is another prescription drug that has found favour among students looking for an academic edge.
Usually prescribed for people suffering from sleep apnoea or narcolepsy, the drug is reported to help the user stay awake, and on task, for long periods – an obvious attraction for a hassled student counting down to exams.
The perception among some students is that these drugs are harmless, but this week the Irish Medicines Board has issued a warning to GPs to “severely restrict” the prescription of Modafinil/Provigil to adult sufferers of narcolepsy. The IMB has warned that doctors should not prescribe the drug for excessive sleepiness, due to concerns about its safety.
Both Modafinil and Ritalin/Adderall have been linked to increased blood pressure. Doctors have this week been warned to carry out electrocardiograms on patients prior to prescribing Modafinil.
Another cause of concern is the potential interaction between these drugs and prescribed medications in users. Any substance that interferes with the binding of other drugs to proteins in the blood could make prescribed drugs, such as the contraceptive pill, less effective, says Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist at the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
However, she says that she has not come across incidents of off-label Ritalin or Modafinil use in Ireland.
“These drugs can cause seizures in students prone to epilepsy. If they were in wide use here, I would expect to be treating seizures as result. I am not.”
Dr Hardiman is not concerned about the issue in Ireland for the moment because, she says, these drugs are not widely available here. “These are controlled substances and they are not easy to get,” she says.
However, given the routine use of these drugs in the US, and growing concerns about their impact in the UK, do we need to be watchful here?
Gary Redmond of the Union of Students in Ireland does not believe there is widespread use of “study drugs” in Ireland, and has come across only a small number of incidents here.
However, he is concerned about the level of stress that students are under, now that the jobs market is so small. He worries that the new economic reality might feed an appetite for drugs that are perceived to enhance academic performance.
“A couple of years ago final year students already had jobs lined up before graduating,” says Redmond. “Now they know they will be competing for a small pool of jobs, and with many planning to emigrate, they will be competing with the top students from international universities.
“Students are under unprecedented pressure to get top grades.”
Gary believes the best way to protect students against the creep of drug-enhanced study is to reform assessment practices at both second and third level.
“Final terminal exams that account for a large proportion of the overall grade are too stressful for students. This is an even bigger problem at Leaving Cert level, where students are also at risk from these types of drugs. We need to take a step back and look at new ways of assessing students that would make the abuse of study drugs less attractive.”
