Felix investigates study drugs

Like all good things in life, this article starts with a disclaimer: Felix is by no means advocating the use of these so-called study drugs. I don’t know about you, but shitting every hour doesn’t scream productive work mode to me, – each to their own. We’re just giving you some facts and student experiences so you can make up your own mind. Felix is not your mum, but it does love you.

Are they legal to buy?

In an attempt to restrict the usage of legal highs, which enjoyed brief legality before the government could change the law to include each new one, the new Psychoactive Substances Act was passed. Due to come into law on May the 26th, it is a blanket ban on all ‘mind-altering’ substances, bar the ones we know and love: alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, caffeine and some foods. The vague terminology of the act is a problem – testing everything for ‘psychoactive’ properties is going to be difficult. Imperial’s grandfather of drug reform and all round great guy Professor David Nutt told Motherboard he doesn’t think it will stem consumption. It will, however, affect the legality of study drugs, which means they’re about to become much harder to buy online.

Currently, lots of people buy their nootropics online, as you’d expect. Their status is a grey-area; they are a semi-legal substance, meaning customers don’t have to go via the dark web yet, and instead can buy Russian, Eastern European or Indian-made pills from British companies. These snazzy websites offer free delivery, loyalty points, have sharp videos advertising their ‘brain-hacking’ wares and boast of the benefits observed by Bradley Cooper’s character in the movie Limitless. Unlike buying from your mate who has a prescription to treat their ADHD or narcolepsy however, these substances are unregulated. Buying the off-brand drugs you see on these sites isn’t illegal right now, but will be when the psychoactive substances blanket ban comes into force. Some sites have seen a jump in sales, as people stock up before the 26th of May.

“I took it a few times. It’s helpful if you want to concentrate on one thing in particular.”

Do they work?

Modafinil, a prescription drug used to treat narcolepsy (which causes excessive daytime sleeping), is the only study drug we know that is confirmed by the literature to enhance performance during long tasks. This 2015 study of studies also found that mood-related and physically unpleasant side effects were found to be limited in most studies, and were usually also found in the control group. However, most studies on smart drugs’ performance-enhancing abilities have been on very small sample sizes. It’s generally a very unregulated area, so it’s hard to say whether your generic ‘Modalert 200’ will actually make you perform better.

Many report vaguely positive effects when taken occasionally, but some are unsure as to whether their success on the drug is just the placebo effect doing its thing.

There are other things to bear in mind when you take them though, such as contraception. Modafinil can harm an unborn foetus, and can also stop the contraceptive pill from working. If you can break away from revising for long enough to have sex, best use a condom.

One student told us: “I’m not sure if it’s placebo or actually works but almost all of my house took it. I took it a few times, it’s helpful if you want to concentrate on one thing in particular.”

What might happen?

Unsurprisingly, these drugs are not conducive to getting a good seven hours the night before the exam. If you’re taking something like Adderall, you need to factor in the fact that you won’t be sleeping for at least seven hours after you take it. Fine if you want all-nighter, but be careful because you might be forced to stay up all night, and wander into the exam room looking like, well, someone who’s stayed up all night in the library after miscalculating their Adderall dose.

FELIX has also heard horror stories involving students accidentally working intensely on the wrong thing. You’ll want to make sure you have all the work you need to do right in front of you when you start, or you might find yourself spending seven hours rearranging your bedroom or cleaning every utensil in the kitchen. That increased focus can also mean you’re less able to do basic things because you’re so distracted by the task at hand. Be careful crossing roads, and definitely don’t start playing games on your phone – you won’t be able to stop.

At the very least, avoid Jagerbombs

However, legal drugs aren’t the only option – don’t feel bad if the person next to you has been typing solidly for six hours while you’ve spent half of your time on Facebook – they may well be taking some good old-fashioned speed.

Unlike the other drugs we’ve discussed here, which are mainly available on prescription for disorders relating to lack of concentration, you are likely to experience a raging comedown on speed. Don’t expect that post-exam last week of term to be all rainbows and butterflies, because it’ll likely be more along the lines of existential crises and crying.

This is a Class B illegal drug, pure and simple, so do bear that in mind.

If you take Ritalin the night before your big test, you’re going to have to be very careful in those post-exam celebrations. Like all drugs, mixing with alcohol can sometimes have unexpected effects. The alertness you gain when taking drugs like Ritalin may well stop you noticing how drunk you’re getting, which could result in alcohol poisoning. Ritalin combined with other stimulants, like coffee or Red Bull, will put a lot of pressure on your heart, so at the very least, avoid Jagerbombs.

Will I get in trouble?

Technically, possession of drugs like Ritalin without a prescription is illegal. If you don’t have ADHD and you’re found with Ritalin, it’s treated as a Class B drug, which could get you five years in prison. In reality, this kind of sentence is pretty rare and you’re likely to get a slap on the wrist or a caution. As with all Class Bs, if you have so much that it looks like you’re selling it, you could be looking at an unlimited fine and some prison time.

Imperial’s own Student Alcohol and Substance Misuse policy makes no explicit reference to study drugs. It says students’ performance must not be affected by substance misuse, which it defines as taking a something that “adversely interferes with an individual’s health, work or study performance or conduct”. As study drugs enhance your performance, arguably they shouldn’t come under this banner. The College does include prescription medicines not prescribed to the user in the definition of ‘drugs’, and insists that they should not be brought onto the premises. The college’s rules also state that students must ensure their behaviour “is not affected by excessive alcohol consumption or substance misuse”. That’s a no from Imperial then.

Imperial’s own Student Alcohol and Substance Misuse policy makes no explicit reference to study drugs

Jennie Watson, the DPW, told FELIX: “No Imperial student should feel they have to take drugs to cope with their academic workload. We have been highlighting the issue of student stress and its impact on mental health to College for a long time, and we’re pleased to see positive changes such as more counsellors and reductions in coursework – but there’s still a long way to go.”

“I’d urge students using drugs to enhance academic performance to consider the fact there is very little evidence of benefit and that the long term effects are broadly unknown.”

Make up your own mind, but if you’ve really not revised, it’s unlikely a Ritalin dose will save you.