3 Comments

"Better living through chemistry" -- Dupont's ubiquitous corporate slogan until they retired it in 1982 -- is a mantra that's even more relevant today. More and more lives are being enhanced by pharmaceutical pills that can do everything from altering moods to improving sexual performance.

But what happens when you take a drug not to get up to speed with everyone else, but to jump ahead of the pack? Methylphenidates like Ritalin, or Sympathomimetics like Adderall are generally prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but are being increasingly used to enhance concentration. Of course college students are engaging in this illegal pill-popping, but so are their professors.

Both of these drugs could be very beneficial to a student who needs to cram for an exam -- but what if you're a lawyer, businessman or artist looking for a boost? Would you resort to un-prescribed performance enhancers if you needed a little extra intelligence?

We weigh the pros and cons after the jump.

Pro:
-- What makes this any different than loading up with caffeine and nicotine, then taking it down with alcohol so you can get some sleep?
-- So my parents never took me to a doctor who prescribed me a drug I don't really need. Does that mean I should be at a competitive disadvantage?
-- Who cares if it's cheating? I'd write the whole class syllabus on my hand if I thought I could get away with it.

Con:
-- Possessing a controlled substance that isn't prescribed to you is, among other things, illegal. Doing so would make you no different from cheats like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.
-- There is a reason a doctor is involved in a process in which substances like methylphenidate and sympathomimetic end up in your body. You could get hooked -- or your head could swell up like Roger Clemens' and Barry Bonds'.
-- Side effects of Ritalin include irritability, anxiety, trouble sleeping, stomach problems and short-term depression when the drug wears off. Adderall can cause diarrhea, unpleasant taste in the mouth, stomach pain, anxiety and mood changes. In short, Adderall turns you into the life of the party.