Students to face random ‘smart drug’ tests?

Students may face random drug tests during exam time due to concerns an increasing number are taking ‘smart drugs’.

10% of students in the UK and 16% in the US admit to taking ‘cognitive enhancing’ drugs to help them stay up late, concentrate and cram for deadlines, a November report found.

The widespread use of ‘cognitive enhancers’ has led to concerns among colleges and universities it may be necessary to begin random drug testing, said Barbara Sahakian a leading Cambridge psychologist who worked on the report.

Sahakian told the Indepedent, “People are starting to think about drug testing. Some of the students who don’t use cognitive enhancers may demand it because they are concerned about cheating. Some admissions tutors are also concerned about it.”

The most popular drugs are Ritalin, usually prescribed for attention deficit disorder, and Modafinil, prescribed for narcolepsy, named in the joint Academies study into ‘Human Enhancement and the Future of Work.’

The report says the drugs are favoured because they do not have any serious side effects, such as mood changes or ‘highs’, commonly associated with recreational use.

Sahakian also said some senior academics had admitted to using performance enchancing drugs.

“The head of one laboratory in the US said that all of his staff are on Modafinil and that in the future there will be a clear division between those who use Modafinil and those who don’t,” she said.