Cognitive Enhancement Thesis Statement

These students are responsible for completing their academic program, without cognitive enhancers, but yet they are viewed equal to the students who do use them. This is unfair to students who do not use Adderall because they are expected to perform at the same level as the students who do take Adderall. Students also have the right of personal safety on campus, which can be a concern if other students are taking cognitive enhancers. The side effects of Adderall include mood swings, thoughts of suicide, and aggression, which makes one using these drugs unsafe to be around (Cartwright).

According to Skidmore, Kaufman and Crowell (2016), “substance use in college students is associated with poor academic performance, unintentional injuries, health problems, heightened rates of engagement in other risky behaviors, legal problems, increased risk of substance use and abuse in adulthood, and mortality” (p. 736). When analyzing higher education substance abuse programs, it is essential to have an understanding of the facts about college student substance abuse, including the dangers of substance abuse, the types of

Marijuana may be used for psychological, social, addictive, or personal reasons. Side effects of this illicit drug that negatively impact student academic performance include decreased motivation, attention, concentration, and memory, all of which hinder learning (How). These effects may be significantly

According to Columbia Casa and University of Minnesota (2015), students are facing the demands of coursework, part-time jobs, internships, social obligations and more, many turn to drugs as a way to cope.  More students than ever are taking stimulants, such as Adderall, for example to help students stay awake long enough to study or complete assignments on time. All too often, these prescription drugs are obtained without a legitimate prescription or with legitimate prescription and are selling to friends and others. Students are now exploring many new aspects of their lives and wonder what could come their way. It’s not uncommon for that self-exploration to dip into drug experimentation. Students who are surround themselves with other experimenters that are trying recreational and performance-enhancer drugs are more likely to try these substances for themselves. These habits lead to a drop in a college students academic grade and has been proven to do so. (Addiction Center 2015) According to National Institute on Drug Abuse Young Adults ranging in age 18-25, the abuse of prescription drugs is second only to abuse of

This overabundance of coverage has led to a kind of public hysteria, parents and doctors now see ADHD around every corner. It has almost become a social norm for a child in school to have ADHD. One could argue that ADHD isn't necessarily a disorder but an unfortunate byproduct of a fast paced reward driven Society. Luckily there is hope. Recent studies have been done and new tests have been designed to help curb the tide of malingering in terms of ADHD. “The IVA CPT adequately distinguished adults with ADHD from non-ADHD” (Colleen A Quinn 2003) Many people will fake the symptoms of ADHD in order to get access to the prescriptions given to those who suffer from the disorder I say few that these medications will help give them in the edge in their work or home life. Students will sometimes take these drugs and hopes that will help them focus on the paper that there trying to write or give them that needed edge to focus on the test they are taking the next day. Either is are pursuing these drugs for recreational use they are hoping for a high off of the schedule

Most Americans have heard of Ritalin and Adderall, either being used to calm hyperactive children or used illegally across every college campus for the purpose of studying. These are two completely different circumstances, which may be confusing to some. The reason that these two different groups of people get two vastly different results from the same drug is that these belong to the drug class of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. CNS stimulants increase alertness mentally and physically, but do the opposite for those with hyperactivity disorders. This is because these drugs release dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is related with motivation (Healthline Editorial Team).

Today on college campuses, it is not possible to make it through college without knowing someone who has at least tried a prescription drug or recreational drug for either party uses, to help them study and keep up in school, or simply to help them get by day-to-day. Maybe you have tried them yourself? College students all across the nation are abusing substances such as Adderall, Vicodin, Oxycontin, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. Those students who drink alcohol are more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical uses than non-drinkers.

In my analysis I am going to analyze the effectiveness of Margaret Talbot’s argument in “Brain Gain: The Underground World of Neuroenhancing Drugs”. This article is about the use of stimulants as cognitive enhancers for high-functioning people and not the intended use for the drugs. The problem is whether or not these stimulants should be considered ethical for everyday use as a cognitive enhancer. Talbot effectively supports her argument that “neuroenhancers” should be allowed for everyday use through her use of testimonials and factual information/statistics that she provides in the article in order to convince her targeted audience that the assistance of a stimulant as a cognitive enhancer is beneficial.

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine

College students are embarking on what is likely to be the best years of their lives, but they are also enrolled to receive a necessary educational foundation that will assist them into their future. While in college, students are expected to be active in athletics, Greek life, organizations, and in addition excel academically in all of their courses. For assistance throughout their difficult and demanding college journey some student use “smart drugs” to stay focused, improve their memory, and ultimately enhance their intelligence. The article "The Ethics of “Smart Drugs”: Moral Judgments About Healthy People's Use of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs" from the publication Basic & Applied Social Psychology explains that “smart drugs” are also called cognitive-enhancing drugs and when correctly used they are prescribed by physicians to lessen the symptoms for diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer’s disease, and narcolepsy (Scheske and Schnall 508). Healthy individuals misusing these drugs to gain academic success is unfair.

Everyone wants to be the best. Everyone wants to have an edge over their opponent. Some will do whatever it takes, fair or unfair, legal or illegal, to put themselves in the best position to beat their opponent. Rules and regulations have been added and changed over time to prevent some of these unfair advantages created by performance enhancers. Many different methods, substances, and products have been used to create an advantage over an opponent. Performance-enhancers have been used and have changed over hundreds of years.

With athletes these aren’t really viewed as performance enhancers but are illegal, so are still placed on the banned substance list. The common effects of almost any street drug is it gives a feeling of euphoria, and also makes that person feel invincible, which are the side effects that make people like them. They also cause nausea and vomiting, the failure to recognize injury, and eventually your body develops a dependence on them. One of the specific street drugs I’m gonna mention is marijuana. While it’s not viewed as a “hard drug” it still has side effects that people can either view as fun or dangerous. These side effects impair short-term memory, increased heart rate, difficulty concentrating, and slowed reflexes. It also causes mood swings and impairs comprehensive thinking (“Effects of Performance Enhancers” 2014). These side effects happen very quickly due to how marijuana is usually introduced to a person system. The reason it acts so quickly is explained on the National Institute on Drug Abuse website, “When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body” (“Drug Facts-Marijuana”

1. Sub Point: Baylor University does a nice job of summing up student motives of such drastic behavior in its 2005 article “Study Drugs Still Popular despite Health Risks”.

College students are more likely to have problems with alcohol abuse or with alcoholism rather than with drug abuse or dependence; however, drug abuse is also a problem for many students. Some students are illicit abusers of prescription drugs, while others use illegal drugs: marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs. Peer pressure and/or loneliness or other factors may lead college students to substance abuse, although some students had previously abused alcohol and/or drugs in high school.

Drugs are substances other than food that affect the way your mind and body works (Al Robertson et al).