Mental Pick-Me-Ups: The Coming Boom

Posted on February 25, 2009  Comments (1)

I am not a fan of lifestyle drugs. People seem to forget that drugs have side effects that are quite large. Being surprised when a drug has adverse consequences shows a failure to understand the risks. You should assume adverse effects and take them only when that risk is outweighed by significant tangible benefits. A Boom in Memory-Enhancing Drugs?

A whole generation has come of age using attention-deficit drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin, a category valued at nearly $4.7 billion in 2007. A lot of teenagers have used them casually as study aids, often buying them on the Internet. And now, overworked professionals are seeing the appeal.

And when they almost certainly have significant adverse effects on many people, then people will get upset. Granted the drug companies pushing sales for negligible benefits do deserve condemnation. However, the larger problem is people that choose to risk their health as though they don’t have the ability to learn and can just ignore evidence of risks.

Related: Over-reliance on Prescription Drugs to Aid Children’s Sleep?Marketing DrugsNew Antipsychotics Same Old Bad ResultsHow Prozac Sent Science Inquiry Off Track

One Response to “Mental Pick-Me-Ups: The Coming Boom”

  1. How Caffeine Affects Your Body » Curious Cat Science Blog
    November 15th, 2012 @ 11:24 pm

    Caffeine prevents adenosine from slowing down your nervous system, by binding to the same receptors adenosine would…

Leave a Reply