Tests and papers. Routine homework. Reading assignments. Athletics. Clubs. Social life. Keeping up with all of these aspects of typical teen life in the 21st century can be hard. Life moves fast, and the temptation to find short cuts is strong. Some teens have turned to using so-called study drugs to give them the boost they think they need to keep up. Study drugs, such as Adderall or Ritalin, typically prescribed for people suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or related issues, are stimulants. They work by giving the brain the boost it needs to help ADHD sufferers focus and concentrate. So why shouldn't they do the same for someone without ADHD? Understanding the difference and why these drugs don't really help non-ADHD students is important to protecting yourself from doing more harm than good while trying to gain an edge. Study Drugs: Brain Boost or Epic Fail? discusses the reality and risk of misusing these drugs and healthy alternatives for keeping up and doing your best academically.

Originally released by Cambridge Educational, 2019. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on March 26, 2019.

Study Drugs: Brain Boost or Epic Fail? (5:48); .