Uni will allow brain-boosting drugs

Warwick University students legally taking Ritalin will not be punished, according to the Students’ Union and the University. The drug has caused great controversy over recent years because of its ability to enhance academic performance.

The _Coventry Telegraph_ recently alleged that Warwick students are free to take so-called brain boosting drugs such as Ritalin, whereas Coventry University would consider their use as cheating. The article quotes Warwick University’s Press Secretary Peter Dunn as saying “If they are legal we can’t stop people taking them unless we think they were doing harm to people.”

The Students’ Union echoed the University’s perspective. Mike Pidgeon, the Union’s Communications Officer, said “It’s something we can’t police against, but if anyone was that stressed out by exams or work to take a drug like Ritalin, we would advise them to come to the Union for support.”

Ritalin is a legal drug, but it is a prescription drug. Since the 1990’s it has been used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Unless prescribed by a doctor, it is illegal to buy the drug. It is possible to legally buy it from websites outside the country or through online pharmacies, but drug experts warn against this. Often the drugs bought over the internet are fake or dangerous.

In America the abuse of prescription drugs like Adderoll and Ritalin has been a problem in student populations for years. A survey of 1,025 students at a northeastern university, published in the Journal of American College Health last year, revealed that one in six students have taken the drugs. There are fears that this is being replicated in the UK with some studies showing as many as one in five students admitting to taking the drug.

Although some experts predict that in ten years taking brain boosting drugs will be as common as coffee, there are debates on the safety of Ritalin use. Apart from the legal implications, the danger posed to any student thinking of taking these drugs, is that without a proper medical consultation their effect can be harmful. The most common side effects are nervousness and insomnia.

Even when the use of Ritalin is considered cheating, detecting the drug is problematic. There is no way to tell whether a student has been on the brain boosting drug such as Ritalin, or has simply taken other legal stimulants such as coffee or pro-plus. Alison Bushnell from Coventry University believes that the debate is academic. She points out that whilst the regulations regarding cheating could be used, there has been no precedent set.

At Warwick, reaction to the use of brain boosting drugs is mixed. Josh a second year student said, “When it comes to exams and red bull isn’t doing the trick, brain boosters could be the life saver we need”. On the other hand Ilona, another Warwick student, was wary, “Brain boosting drugs probably mess with your brain”, and pointed out that Red Bull, a common stimulant, used to be banned in France.