Final-year college students are buying dangerous attention deficit disorder drugs, dubbed 'brain viagra', as the college exam season gets under way.
There is growing concern some hard-pressed students - desperate to either pass an exam or improve their grades - are relying on substances which should only be used when prescribed by a doctor.
College sources confirm that over the next few weeks there will be a surge in the numbers buying these substances illegally on the dark web.
With graduates still facing a tough jobs market, USI president Kevin Donoghue confirmed there is evidence certain students are using 'cognitive enhancing drugs' in the hope of boosting academic performance.
The revelation comes as new figures obtained by the Sunday Independent reveal a surge in the number of seizures of the top three most popular 'smart drugs' smuggled into the country in the past four years.
There were 2,940 Adderall, Ritalin and Modafinil tablets seized in 2014 - compared with 1,344 in 2011.
A trawl through a number of websites reveals so-called 'smart pills' are being carefully marketed online, suggesting they can unlock hidden human brainpower.
Source: Mark O'Regan, Irish Independent, 24/04/16
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
