With the ever increasing pace of everyday life, more people are turning to cognitive enhancing drugs to stay on top, according to a report in a scientific journal.

The controversial report, published in Nature last month, spoke of the widening use of drugs such as Ritalin, Adderal and Modafinil amongst sportsmen, students and academics.

In an informal survey, Barbara Sahakian, professor of neuropsychology at Cambridge and author of the report, found a number of colleagues to be using Modafinil as a means of fighting off jet lag, improving their academic performance and aiding their social ease at parties.

Modafinil is generally prescribed to counter the symptoms of Narcolepsy. When taken by otherwise healthy people, it is also found to stave off fatigue and improve concentration and short-term memory.

The drug is only available on prescription, though it can be bought online. Its use without a prescription is illegal.
It has become the favourite of academics because the side effects are relatively mild when compared with other “smart” drugs.

Side effects include the occasional headache, the odd bout of diarrhoea, a touch of nausea perhaps; not particularly ailments you want to get at a party, but nonetheless gentle compared with the potential heart problems, strokes or tumours that can occur from drugs like Ritalin.

As a relatively new drug, approved in the UK in 2002, the long-term effects of Modafinil are still unknown. The drug is stocked by the army to keep combat troops alert.

One Robinson student, who wished to remain anonymous, told Varsity: “I’ve tried Modafinil a couple of times. With the Cambridge workload I frequently have to stay up until the early hours to reach deadlines.

“It definitely made me focus on what I was doing but I don’t think my essay was any the better for it.”

The report has sparked a debate as to whether the drug should be made available over-the-counter.

The director of the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester, John Harris, has said that the government should “seriously consider” making such drugs available to students without a prescription.

By Rachel Stratton