Students turning to legal stimulants for exam edge

Caffeine is no longer sufficient. ADHD drugs are being illegally used as study aids, says Rita de Brun

CAFFEINE was once the stimulant of choice for students to enhance concentration. Not any more. Cognition enhancing pills, most often prescription drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are the new study tool.

Sixteen per cent of US students and 10% of UK students say they use enhancers to boost academic performance, according to studies led by Cambridge University psychiatrist Professor Barbara Sahakian. It happens here too.