A new type of drug is on the streets, this one called nootropics. Haven’t heard of them? Nootropics are also known as smart drugs, brain steroids or memory enhancers. Whereas some medicine provides remedy or relief from infection or pain, smart drugs play a role in helping to enhance the natural skills of individuals, particularly students or those interested in being able to think and act clearer, quicker and more efficiently. Yet the question remains: do smart drugs actually make people smarter?
Smart Drugs: An Evolution
The term originated in 1990 with John Morgenthaler and Ward Dean, M.D. and their book “Smart Drugs and Nutrients,” as a way to distinguish the difference between nutritional supplements and drugs. A controversial name, “smart drugs,” this subject sparked interest in the use of prescription drugs and nutritional supplements in a new light. While drugs and supplements had been used to prevent or treat illness, disease, infection or pain, smart drugs are not used to treat but rather than to boost one’s abilities.Caffeine and nicotine are two of the earliest forms of smart drugs, as these increase one’s concentration by stimulating their senses. However, smart drugs of today include medication that is prescribed for other functions. For instance, medicines used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, narcolepsy and ADD are thought to be able to improve cognitive functioning through memory, concentration and alertness of healthy individuals. Common smart drugs include methylphenidate aka Ritalin, Nootrobrain, donepezil, and dextroamphetamine aka Adderall.
Smart Drugs for College Students
In today’s world of work, play and study, college students are constantly looking for a way to improve their performance. An article in Time magazine from 2009 looks at the “brave new world of cognitive enhancement” through the use of Ritalin, Adderall and other stimulants for those who need to stay up longer with more energy and increased focus. These drugs are typically prescribed to patients who are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, students who do not legitimately have ADD or ADHD are finding ways to either get a legal prescription or to score illegal drugs, the latter of which creates added danger to the students.Typically, these drugs have been seen in the college environment among students who are looking to cram for exams. A study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that during exam times, the instance of the word “Adderall” was mentioned 213,633 times on Twitter from 132,099 unique Twitter accounts during traditional final periods. The word was tweeted 930 times a day with peaks occurring on Dec. 13 and Apr. 30. The tweets peaked during the week and tapered off on the weekend, which lead researcher Carl L Hanson, PhD to determine that: “It’s not like they’re using it as a party drug on the weekend,” Hanson said. “This data suggests that they’re using it as a study aid. Many of the tweets even made a study reference.”
Nazis and Smart Drugs
According to sociology, the use of drugs to improve performance has the potential to allow a society to be more productive. In this sense, through functionalism, smart drugs are used for the benefit of the entire group. For instance, during World War II a type of smart drug similar to methamphetamine was given to Nazi soldiers and Hitler. It was used to help the regime maintain endurance by keeping the German army awake for longer without needing to eat. This drug also has the side effects of euphoria, paranoia, and psychosis, much of which could be said to have something to do with the acts of control and horrifying violence committed by the Nazi regime. Yet the use of smart drugs was highly beneficial for the function of the group. Smart drugs used by college students could be viewed as a way to allow society to increase its world standings in terms of academic success, which would be a positive function of the group.Smart Drugs Lead to Deviance
On the other hand, smart drugs are similar to illegal sports enhancing steroids in the sense that they promote deviance. For individuals who get smart drugs illegally either by telling doctors falsehoods in order to be diagnosed for the drugs or by scoring the drugs on the streets, they are acting deviant and against social norms. Deviance is a reactive construct that, in the case of smart drugs, came about out of the need for students to hopefully do better in school. Those who take these drugs will often rationalize that smart drugs are necessary for them to be able to function at the level that is required. For sociologists, the question here is whether or not smart drugs will eventually be accepted as part of the norm or if it will remain a deviant behavior—even in the light of the ability for smart drugs to help a society advance in academics.So, do these drugs actually make you smarter? Smart drugs are a way to increase your ability to do things, such as school assignments or exams, so you are doing more, better and in less time. In that respect, smart drugs help you to be smarter since they allow you to learn more efficiently. However, the unknown consequences of taking powerful stimulants and other prescribed medications when they are only a supplementation is still on the table. What do you think about the smart drug debate? Do you or someone you know take smart drugs? Please share your experiences or ideas in the comments below.
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