Teenagers admit to taking ‘smart drugs’ to pass the GCSEs

Children as young as 14 are taking ‘smart drugs’ in a bid to pass the ‘hardest GCSE exams ever’, according to a TV investigation. 

The news was shared on ITV’s This Morning and revealed how teenagers are becoming reliant on prescription drugs to cope with the pressures of tests – and risking ‘serious side effects’ in doing so. 

One student, Media Abid, admitted to taking amphetamines that she illegally bought online to help her stay up all night revising, describing the substances as ‘essential’, and ‘like jet fuel’.

Possession of commonly used ‘smart’ drugs like Ritalin or Modafinil is illegal without a prescription.  

Resident medic Dr Ranj, who warned that the stimulants belong to the same family as amphetamines, said they ‘don’t make you smarter, just more alert’.  

Speaking to presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Media, who is now 19 and studied for her GCSEs two years ago, said: ‘I had [more than] 13 plus exams. I was dependent on caffeine staying up all night revising. I was neglecting exercise and social life.’

This Morning investigation has revealed that teenagers as young as 14 are taking ‘smart drugs’ to pass GCSE exams

The revelation comes after education secretary Michael Gove made GCSEs more difficult, over fears that they were being ‘dumbed down’.

This summer’s exams are the first year of the new syllabus, which is believed to be the toughest ever.

This Morning researcher Enya Quinn-Jarvis revealed how easy the drugs were to buy illegally online, saying she found them within 30 seconds of searching.

Student Media Abid, pictured left, admitted to taking amphetamines, describing the experience as 'like jet fuel'

Student Media Abid, pictured left, admitted to taking amphetamines, describing the experience as ‘like jet fuel’

What are ‘smart drugs’ and are they legal? 

‘Smart drugs’ are taken by some students to help them deal with exam stress and to improve performance. 

Some of the most commonly used drugs are Ritalin and Modafinil.  

Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant. It affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.

It is commonly used to treat attention deficit attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  

Ritalin is a class B drug in the UK and possession without a prescription can lead to a five-year prison sentence -while dealing could put you behind bars for 14 years.

Modafinil, on the other hand, is a wakefulness-promoting drug used for treatment of disorders such as narcolepsy.     

While it is illegal to sell modafinil in the UK without a prescription, it is not illegal to buy.

Side effects of popular smart drugs include fatigue, distraction, inability to sleep and dry mouth. 

Media agreed, explaining: ‘It was through a mindless Google search. I was desperate. 

‘I Googled any drug that makes you smart. There were forums talking about it. When I was taking the tablets, it gave me a tunnel focus. It was making me more awake and alert. It was essential like jet fuel.’

Ms Quinn-Jarvis said: ‘Within 30 seconds of searching online you can find these drugs… If you don’t have a prescription, these drugs are illegal. 

‘I saw a significant amount of students talking about their struggles with their GCSEs online and in a bid to cope with the pressures and demand of the exams they were talking about using “smart drugs” and these students were as young as 14 years old.’

With the problem affecting more and more teenagers, Media highlighted the downsides to the ‘smart drugs’.

She said: ‘There are downsides. At first it was giving me a like this new found energy and focus. But I started to notice I was getting dry mouth and I had no appetite and I was getting very irritable. 

‘My anxiety disorders were getting worse. The biggest problem for me was that I was losing sleep. So the reason I was taking the drugs was to improve my grades but the the lack of sleep was bring them down.

‘These drugs are controlled for a reason. They interfered with my health more than they benefited my grades. There are far better ways to manage your stress and manage your workload than depending on a pill a day.’     

This Morning viewers were left shocked by the report, with several taking to Twitter to question why the new GCSEs are so hard

This Morning viewers were left shocked by the report, with several taking to Twitter to question why the new GCSEs are so hard

This summer's GCSE exams are said to be the toughest ever and are the first of a new syllabus implemented by Michael Gove

This summer’s GCSE exams are said to be the toughest ever and are the first of a new syllabus implemented by Michael Gove

The Student Room, a forum where thousands of students discuss topics, said in a statement that they try to stop the promotion of 'smart drugs'

The Student Room, a forum where thousands of students discuss topics, said in a statement that they try to stop the promotion of ‘smart drugs’

However, some took to Twitter to question whether the exams were as hard as pupils made out

However, some took to Twitter to question whether the exams were as hard as pupils made out

This Morning medic Dr Ranj agreed and urged parents to keep an eye on their children during the exam period. 

He said: ‘There is a reason these are prescription-only medications. They belong to the stimulant family of amphetamines.

‘The risk when you buy these online, you don’t know what you are getting but you are exposing yourself to some serious side effects and some of them could be more disruptive than if you hadn’t taken them in the first place.

‘They don’t make you smarter, just more alert.’ 

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield looked shocked as they listened to Media talk about her experience using 'smart drugs'

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield looked shocked as they listened to Media talk about her experience using ‘smart drugs’

He advised pupils struggling with exam pressures to talk to a loved one or contact Childline.

The drugs are widely talked about online, especially on forums such as the Student Room.

A statement from the Student Room, shared on This Morning, said: ‘We see discussions on our forum about them, but we try to ensure that anything promoting the use of such drugs and how to access them is removed. 

‘We’re seeing increasing levels of stress around exams which worries us greatly and with the use of smart study drugs this is one symptom of this stress. We feel we need to look into this further.  

This Morning viewers took to Twitter to share their concerns about the startling wave of ‘smart drugs’.

Georgia Graham wrote: ‘The fact that young people are willing to take drugs to pass GCSEs it shows how much pressure they are under, how can the government make these tests harder when this is happening?’

Alisha Valerie said: ‘Oh my gosh, taking ”smart drugs” are so scary. I don’t understand why anyone would sacrifice their health for a good grade? These websites need to be shut down!’ 



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