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Smart drugs for students

Updated on 22 May 2008

By Krishnan Guru-Murthy

If performance enhancing drugs for your brain are now a reality, should students face the same kind of restrictions as athletes?

We've grown used to hearing about athletes who take drugs to improve their performance. Now there's evidence that many students and academics are doing the same.

'Smart drugs' that enhance brain performance are becoming increasingly popular, and more readily available.

Drugs like Modafinil and Ritalin enhance short term memory and speed of thought - and a report from the Academy of Medical Sciences says that an increasing number of people are likely to turn to them before exams, or during a tough spell at work.

They were asked by the government to launch a consultation on the regulation of smart drugs, and got a diverse set of opinions.



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