I found a semi-controversial article on USA Today. Well, we all know that college campuses are very big on the illegal “studying” drugs like Ritalin that helps students focus and stimulates their memory. This article argues that these drugs should be legalized for everyone because similar drugs to Ritalin are already legal for hyperactive children or memory-challenged elderly people. Therefore, these scientists are making a comparison to other legal over the counter stimulants saying:  ”pills are no more morally objectionable than eating right or getting a good night’s sleep.” Meaning that these brain stimulants are as harmless as purchasing dietary supplements or sleeping pills.

I know I am big fan of those 5-hour energy boster shots they sell at every CVS. They give me the energy I need to maintain to stay awake in the library and the focus I need to understand what I’m studying. Overall, these things really work! But like anything else, there are extremes to everything and control limits to be upheld. So in my opinion, I believe these “brain drugs” should be legalized for the use of any common person but the dosage should be extremely monitored before releasing it to the public. If there aren’t any fatal or permanent side effects, I would probably purchase them.

Now I know that the opposing opinion would say that it wouldn’t be fair for students that choose to add external “aids” to their system to get a better grade than the student who resorts to old-fashioned 10 hour days in the library. Although this is a disadvantage to those students, they must also consider the fact that there are many students who physically cannot spend 10-hour days in the library, but their case may not be serious enough to have these stimulators prescribed to them. So what should those students do?

I think “brain drugs” should definitely be legalized at the risk of those who choose to purchase them.