* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    AI’s race in the dark with China – Axios

    The High-Stakes AI Race: Innovation and Competition in the Shadows

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    AI’s race in the dark with China – Axios

    The High-Stakes AI Race: Innovation and Competition in the Shadows

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

‘Smart Drugs’ Underdeliver and Can Bring Trouble

June 21, 2023
in Health
‘Smart Drugs’ Underdeliver and Can Bring Trouble
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

June 23, 2023 – One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you … smarter? 

Whether you’re Alice in Wonderland heading down the rabbit hole or a high school or college student trying to achieve academic excellence, researchers have an important message for you: There is no such thing as a “smart pill.” In fact, nonmedical use of prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin by people without a prescription can lead to unintended outcomes, including poorer grades and substance abuse.

Findings from a recent study suggested that intentional “smart drug” use by people without ADHD and with normal mental skills did not improve those skills but, rather, had the opposite effect. Although otherwise healthy people in the study who took these drugs (Ritalin, Provigil, or Dexedrine) appeared to have more motivation, they needed more time and effort to complete a complicated task, compared to people taking a dummy (placebo) pill. 

“Our center is interested in how people make decisions and solve problems under conditions of risk, uncertainty, and complexity,” said Elizabeth Bowman, PhD, lead study author and business manager of the Centre for Brain, Mind, and Markets at the University of Melbourne in Australia. 

“We found that with these drugs, their actual performance went down; we also found that participants with the best performance with no drugs were the ones most likely to have the largest decreases in productivity,” she said.

The drugs also are not as benign as they appear.

Bowman said that in the short term, they can cause anxiety, crankiness, and insomnia. There’s also evidence that regular use over time might bring about substance use issues that persist well into adulthood.

Old Tricks, New Drugs

Nonmedical use of prescription drugs in academic settings is hardly new. Almost 100 years ago, researchers started to explore if stimulants could improve how well math and verbal tasks were carried out. 

Fast forward to the 21st century, and over 3 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and 62% take medication for it. Data suggest that the greater the proportion of students in any given school who are prescribed ADHD medications, the higher the odds of nonmedical use of these drugs. Roughly one-quarter of adolescents are likely to be approached by their peers to sell or give away their medicines before completing secondary school (grades 8-12), and more than half during college. 

The problem is huge, according to researchers.

“Our team has shown that prescription stimulants are the only prescription medication class where the number of young adults using without a prescription is greater than the number taking stimulants with a prescription,” said Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing in Ann Arbor, and director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health, known as the DASH Center.

This is especially true at campuses where fraternities and sororities and their associated partying, binge drinking, and cannabis use are widespread. 

Arby, a 26 year-old consultant based in Washington, DC, reflected on his time in a fraternity at the University of Maryland-College Park.

“I could tell you that in my fraternity at any given time, we had between five and 10 individual people that were prescribed these drugs and did not take them; they ordered them to sell them,” he said. “And it wasn’t hidden either, they would talk about it in group chats and bring them to chapter meetings.”

His personal experience with the drugs spanned his entire college experience, starting with freshman year.

“I’d always had trouble sitting down and focusing and studying for these intense school projects and exams. And you know, suddenly when you get to college and the workload and the intensity goes up so much … and there’s a quick and easy solution,” he said.

The drugs “allow you to be in the library for 12, 14, 16 hours straight,” he said. “They enabled me to do things that I never thought that I could do in terms of commitment to studying and academics. And in that way, they were kind of positive for my growth, to show me that I can work really hard and do well in school and be successful.”

Arby, who asked not to use his last name to protect his privacy, is not alone in his belief that these drugs improved his overall performance. Study after study point to academic performance as the primary motivation for nonmedical stimulant use. A 2022 survey of students attending seven universities across the U.S. said they take these medications because they believe they provide better concentration, less restlessness, increased alertness, the ability to keep track of assignments, and they keep others from having an academic edge.

But nonmedical usage can also be a slippery slope.

“Over 75% of young adults who reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants on 10 or more occasions screen positive for potential substance use disorder,” said Esteban McCabe. 

Even more troubling is that 40% to 50% snort the drugs, which places them at higher risk for drug-related problems, he said.

Mixed Messages

Amelia Arria, PhD, associate chair of the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, and director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health in College Park, said she’s concerned about the negative impact on students who truly need these drugs.

“There’s a lot of evidence to support the safety and efficacy [of these drugs] when you are diagnosed with ADHD and have a physician on board and you have guidance from the physician,” she said.

But problems often arise when they are used without that supervision.

Esteban McCabe pointed to the combination of alcohol and prescription stimulants as an example.

“Many young adults who simultaneously drink alcohol and use prescription stimulants have no idea how dangerous these substances can be,” he said. 

“Passing out is a protective mechanism that stops people from drinking when they are approaching potentially dangerous blood alcohol concentrations. But, if you take stimulants when you drink, you can potentially override this mechanism, and this could lead to life-threatening consequences.”

Unfortunately, high school and college kids are not alone when it comes to mixed messages about these drugs: Many parents also believe that they’re benign.

“There’s a lot of research showing that parents and caregivers are the number one influence on initiation, and parent permissiveness is a huge risk factor,” Arria said.

Sharon Levy, MD, chief of the Division of Addiction Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, agreed.

“Parents and other caregivers might be less concerned about the behavior because the motive seems to be reasonable,” she said

 “I’ve seen kids who are in the high school age range and will borrow someone’s ADHD meds before a big final exam, and the parents are aware of it and condoning it. I think from some parents’ perspectives, a lot of kids are taking these medications, they must be safe, and for these special events, why not give them a leg up?”

Levy also said that there are a lot of missed opportunities for intervening, especially at younger ages.

“The right time to have these frank conversations happens before college,” she said. “Pediatricians are seeing these kids routinely and renewing prescriptions in kids diagnosed with ADHD – much younger than high school. When they come in for these annual physicals, there a real opportunity to start talking about things – like prescribed medications should never be shared,” she said. 

Levy pointed to the tradeoff between small gains in attention and focus and large losses in sophisticated problem-solving skills, not to mention the addiction potential of stimulant use.

“Unless your attention and focus are really disordered, the tradeoff isn’t going to be worth it,” she said.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : WebMD – https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20230623/smart-drugs-underdeliver-and-can-bring-trouble?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Tags: ‘SmartDrugshealth
Previous Post

Adele’s Fungal Infection Has People Talking About Jock Itch

Next Post

Wildfires Can Form Monstrous Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds

Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah-dwelling chimpanzees – Frontiers

Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah-dwelling chimpanzees – Frontiers

August 2, 2025
EPA attacks climate science. Here are the facts. – E&E News by POLITICO

EPA Questions Climate Science: Key Insights You Shouldn’t Miss

August 2, 2025
6 science-backed strategies to improve your memory – National Geographic

6 Proven Science-Backed Strategies to Boost Your Memory

August 2, 2025
Trying to keep your brain young? A big new study finds these lifestyle changes help – NPR

Trying to keep your brain young? A big new study finds these lifestyle changes help – NPR

August 2, 2025
2025 World Junior Summer Showcase: 3 things learned on Day 5 – NHL.com

3 Must-Know Highlights from Day 5 of the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase

August 2, 2025
Economic Reality Bites Trump and His Protectionist Trade Policies – The New Yorker

How Trump’s Protectionist Trade Policies Ended Up Hurting the Global Economy

August 2, 2025
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

August 2, 2025
President Trump Delivers Remarks on Making Health Technology Great Again – The White House (.gov)

President Trump Delivers Remarks on Making Health Technology Great Again – The White House (.gov)

August 2, 2025
Trump’s super PAC in powerful financial position with nearly $200 million on hand – CNN

Trump’s super PAC in powerful financial position with nearly $200 million on hand – CNN

August 2, 2025
It’s time to retire the word ‘technology’ – Financial Times

Why It’s Time to Retire the Word ‘Technology’ for Good

August 2, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (750)
  • Economy (775)
  • Entertainment (21,653)
  • General (16,241)
  • Health (9,812)
  • Lifestyle (783)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (776)
  • Politics (784)
  • Science (15,988)
  • Sports (21,270)
  • Technology (15,752)
  • World (758)

Recent News

Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah-dwelling chimpanzees – Frontiers

Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah-dwelling chimpanzees – Frontiers

August 2, 2025
EPA attacks climate science. Here are the facts. – E&E News by POLITICO

EPA Questions Climate Science: Key Insights You Shouldn’t Miss

August 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version