Midterms week is only just beginning to breach universities across the nation, but one can already hear the hushed whispers permeating the palpable silence surrounding libraries.
“Hey, do you have some Adderall I can use?”
A once-modest drug designed to help individuals with ADHD focus, Adderall is now used by thousands of college students as a “study drug” to help maximize productivity. For students, it is a godsend; the drug gives users laser-sharp focus, increases memorization capabilities and wards off unwanted sleepiness. Currently, it is illegal for an individual to use Adderall — which must be prescribed — without medical need, but many students gain access to it by borrowing the drug or faking ADHD symptoms to a doctor. Still, decriminalising neuroenhancers like Adderall for academic purposes is frowned upon by the public. Health experts warn that Adderall is an amphetamine comparable to cocaine, and can cause serious side effects like addiction. Others claim taking the drug is akin to using steroids in sports, giving unfair advantages to users. Still others point out that even if neuroenhancers were to become commercialized in the future, only the rich would have easy access. For many students in today’s hypercompetitive colleges, there are only two options: pop the pill or fall behind. Regardless of its risks, neuroenhancement is part of our future; here is why we should legalize it.
Arguably the strongest contention against legalizing performance-enhancing Adderall use is that it has harmful side effects. Headache and dizziness are common after-effects, but rare side effects may include aggressive behavior, heart problems and exacerbation of existing anxiety. The media have constantly advanced scary tales of neuroenhancer abuse (like this article, which recounts the story of a young man led to suicide because of Adderall) that tend to skew the image of neuroenhancement. In reading these stories, one view becomes immediately clear: dangerous side effects can result from using these drugs, but only when they are misused habitually. The fact of the matter is: Adderall only presents a serious threat when it is abused, just like any other drug. There is no statistic on death from Adderall, simply because it isn't that dangerous when used responsibly. Even the journalist who reported the Adderall-related suicide notes that “very few people who misuse stimulants devolve into psychotic or suicidal addicts.” With limited dosages under doctor supervision, neuroenhancer prescriptions could become powerful low-risk tools to boost productivity.
The steroids in sports comparison is a common one, but it is ultimately flawed. Sports are competitions based solely on individual achievement and glory. Meanwhile, academia (especially research) is a not zero-sum game — each person's contribution helps society progress. A student’s use of neuroenhancers doesn't automatically hurt other students’ productivity — it just helps him excel and contribute to academic progress. Remember, these drugs don't make people inherently smarter or more creative; they just increase productivity capacity for a few hours. Other opponents point out that if neuroenhancers were to permeate the market, only the rich would have access to them. To an extent, this is true, but if one looks at the history of technology, it is clear that the rich always have first access to the most useful items. For example, the rich naturally enjoyed the advantages of computers first back in the 1970s; no one banned their usage. With cheap availability nowadays, computers have practically become a prerequisite for higher education. Ultimately, a technology can always reach a low enough price point for mass availability.
For most, the biggest deterrent is the idea that neuroenhancers somehow alter our nature. But take a look around you. The manufactured coffee sitting next to you is an enhancer; the caffeine inside it provides an “unnatural” boost of energy. The screen on which you are most likely reading this article is attached to a computer, a technology that has had actual physical impacts on the brain. Humans have been modifying the natural order of things since the evolution of our species. To deem medical enhancement “unnatural” is to deny our innate propensity for improvement.
Neuroenhancers are already being used by an enormous number of college students. In a survey done by professors in the Department of Communication at the University of Kentucky, a whopping 34 percent of college student participants admitted to having illegally used ADHD medication. We should accept the future of neuroenhancement, taking into account its dangers but not discarding the serious benefits it provides. Many students share or sell prescriptions of Adderall — an illegal act — and should rightfully be stopped. But if we can legally commercialize neuroenhancers for academic use, and increase research to develop cheaper and safer neuroenhancers, many of the current stigmas surrounding neuroenhancers will disappear. Simply put, the age of enhancement is upon us. Only by decriminalising neuroenhancers will society enter a new era of productivity.
Hasan Khan is a Viewpoint Writer.
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