Study drugs: is anyone using them on campus?

With week 12 fast approaching and students across campus plagued with deadlines, some UEA students are looking for new ways to boost their brain-power.

Prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Modafinil – used to treat neurological problems – are ending up in the hands of students, who use them to keep awake and alert during the revision period leading up to exams.

The Tab has spoken to some UEA students who have taken ‘study drugs’, which are often available online for as little as £15 for a strip of 10.

Modafinil pills

One UEA student admitted to using study drugs during exams in May. He told The Tab: “I lost complete perception of time and just studied, studied, studied all day.”

He added: “I didn’t feel hungry on them so I lost quite a bit of weight too. They made me quite jittery and anxious and feel really weird, but in the end I did do well in my exams so I would probably use them again.”

Study drugs work by changing the way nerve cells communicate with each other. This can improve your alertness, memory and your mood, meaning you can concentrate for longer.

However, the drugs are not without their downsides. They can make you feel sick, anxious and depressed, and can stop you from sleeping properly.

This may or may not be a paracetamol…

Another student, who wants to remain anonymous, was not convinced that the drugs worked. He said: “I tried them once but I’m not sure how well it worked. It might’ve been the placebo effect.”

“I bought them off the internet from some random guy so maybe it wasn’t what he said it was. I don’t think I’d buy them again, I was just feeling desperate at the time.”

Study drugs are not addictive but they can increase the dopamine production in the body, which can lead to addictive behaviour. Experiments have even likened Ritalin to cocaine. Both have a similar chemical structure and both increase dopamine in the brain.

Selling Ritalin is a Class B offence and can land you up to 14 years in jail. Possessing the drug without a prescription can see you banged up for 5 years. Modafinil is not yet a controlled substance so the penalties are significantly less.

Legality aside, what about the ethics of using these drugs at uni? Drinking a cup of coffee before an exam is allowed, and that can enhance your performance and alertness, how does this differ from taking a drug which enhances concentration?

But many regard using these kinds of drugs as cheating, and there have been calls for drug tests during exams to stop people from using them.

What is your view? Would you try study drugs if you could get hold of them? Have you tried them already? Let us know in the comments.