The Use of Smart Drugs by

Maastricht University Students

Research Report

AN HONOURS RESEARCH PROJECT

10/07/2014
Franca Knig, Lena Nover, Mareike Mller, Anne Toss, Melanie Welters
Professor Doctor Sally Wyatt

The Use of Smart Drugs by

Maastricht University Students
Research Report
Introduction
The non-medical use and abuse of smart drugs by healthy students is a current issue that
has recently been addressed in numerous studies1 and newspaper articles2. Also referred to
as cognitive enhancing drugs (CEDs) or nootropics, smart drugs are psychoactive
stimulating substances that increase neurotransmission processes in the brain, and thus lead
to sustained attention and potentially enhance cognitive performance.3 These drugs include,
amongst others, Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil, other methylphenidates and d-amphetamines.
Illicit drugs such as speed or pep, ecstasy and cocaine can also be classed into the category
of smart drugs as they can lead to increased attention and may be used to enhance cognitive
performance.
Although the above mentioned illicit stimulants are prescription-only drugs, developed
for individuals with attention deficit or sleeping disorders, there is evidence that they are
taken by healthy students in order to increase their academic performance.4 Recent studies
provided evidence that the non-medical use of smart drugs is a growing problem among
students in the United States (US), with up to 34% of students using smart drugs for non-

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

medical purposes.5 Nevertheless, the prevalence of cognitive enhancement outside the US

has not yet been studied in depth. One problem in transferring the results from the American
studies is the great difference in drug prescription regulation between the US and the
European Union (EU). Therefore, the issue of smart drug usage of students for cognitive
enhancement needs to be studied in a European context. In existing academic literature a
general report on drug use by Flemish students can be found that is however not specifically
focused on CEDs, although they are included.6 Additionally, a study concerning
neuroenhancement among German students exists.7 Besides that, to our knowledge, no
other studies have so far addressed smart drug (ab-)use by healthy students at European
universities.

Emanuel, Frellsen, Kashima, Sanguino, Sierles, & Lazarus, 2012; DeSantis, Webb, & Noar, 2008; McCabe,
Knight, Teter, & Wechsler, 2005; Babcock & Byrne, 2000; McCabe & Teter, 2007; Teter, McCabe, LaGrange,
Cranford, & Boyd, 2006; Van Hal, Rosiers, Hublet, Damme & Maes, 2011; Rabiner, Anastopoulos, Costello,
Hoyle, McCabe, & Swartzwelder, 2009; Eickenhorst, Vitzthum, Klapp, Groneberg, & Mache, 2012; Teter,
Esteban, McCabe, Cranford, Boyd, & Guthrie, 2005; White, Becker-Bease, & Grace-Bishop, 2006.
2 Carey, 2008; Nienhaus, 2007; Talbot, 2009.
3 Horn, 2008.
4 Lamkin, 2012.
5 Emanuel et al., 2012; DeSantis et al., 2008; McCabe et al., 2005; Babcock & Byrne, 2000; McCabe & Teter,
2007; Teter, McCabe, LaGrange, Cranford, & Boyd, 2006; Rabiner et al., 2009; Eickenhorst et al., 2012; Teter et
al., 2005; White et al., 2006.
6 Van Hal et al., 2011.
7 Eickenhorst, Vitzthum, Klapp, Groneberg, & Mache, 2012.
1

Maastricht University not only has a very international student population but it is
located in a border triangle, possibly easing access to prescription drugs. This international
setting coupled with the high workload and competitive environment of the university renders
the study of UM students use of smart drugs particularly interesting. As part of this research,
interviews with a professor of Psychopharmacology and Behavioral Toxicology as well as a
psychologist of the Student Service Centres counseling service suggested, that university
staff did not think smart drug abuse could be a problem at Maastricht University. Bearing this
in mind, a survey among students about their use of, motivation for and attitudes towards
smart drugs was conducted. This adds not only to the small number of existing research on
smart drug use by students in Europe, but the results challenge the common perception at
Maastricht University that smart drugs are not an issue.

Methods
This exploratory study included an anonymous, cross-sectional online survey about smart
drugs use by students at Maastricht University. The survey, conducted between April 29 and
June 10, 2014, contained sections on the demographic profile of the participants, their use of
and/or familiarity with smart drugs, attitudes towards smart drugs and their usage as well as
the source of supply respectively. Demographic questions included gender, age, nationality,
faculty, the level of studies, whether the participant has a study delay or not, and whether he
or she is member of a student association or a study organization.
you with smart drugs?, Do you know anyone who has taken smart drugs for studying?, and
more directly Have you made use of smart drugs yourself during the past 12 months? as
well as Have you ever considered using smart drugs?. Finally, the section about attitudes
asked, amongst other things, whether participants would support the use of smart drugs,
what reasons students may have for taking smart drugs, and what respondents thought
about healthy people taking smart drugs in order to improve their study/mental
performance?. The survey also included open-ended questions, in particular concerning
motives for and attitudes towards the use of smart drugs (For a complete list of questions,
see the annex).
On average, completing the survey took between four and eight minutes and
comprised 36 questions for students who had previously taken smart drugs and 25 questions
for non-users. In order to protect students anonymity, the survey did not contain any
identifiable data and the phrasing of the questions did not allow for re-identification.
The survey was distributed in three ways: First, it was continuously distributed via
social media by posting it in university-related Facebook groups, such as groups of specific
study programmes (Official BA European Studies, Psychology 2013-Maastricht University,
etc.). Second, it was included in the UM Newsletter of May 13, 2014 and thereby sent to all
students university e-mail accounts. Third, it was promoted in person, by the authors, in the
library and in the Student Service Centre by asking students to fill out the survey. Due to the

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Questions on the usage of and familiarity with smart drugs included: How familiar are

methodological approach how the survey was distributed, an exact response rate cannot be
determined.

Results
1. Participants
In total, 517 participants, representing all faculties of Maastricht University, completed the
survey. Of those, 46% were male and 53.5% were female, which seems to represent the
general student population at Maastricht University. Figure 1 shows the gender distribution in
absolute numbers across the entire group of participants:

Figure 1: Gender Distribution

300

276
239

250
200
150
100

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

50

2
female

male

other

The participation of students across faculties was dominated by the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences (FASoS). This does not reflect the real distribution of students at Maastricht
University across faculties. This distribution is due to the fact that the survey was primarily
distributed via the social media platform Facebook. As all students engaged in conducting
the survey are/were students of FASoS, the virtual reach of the study was influenced. Still,
the distribution across the remaining faculties seems to reflect the total student population at
Maastricht University. It is assumed that the category other in Figure 2 refers to students
who are enrolled in more than one faculty, or who are taking a minor at a different faculty
than the one they are enrolled at:

Figure 2: Participation Across Faculties

Other

2%

Psychology and Neuroscience

8%

FASoS

31%

Humanities and Sciences (incl. UCM)

12%

FHML

12%

Law

11%

SBE

24%
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

FASoS: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; UCM: University College Maastricht; FHML:
Faculty of Health, Medical and Life Sciences; SBE: School of Business and Economics

Of those, only 17% of students currently have a study delay, while 83% will finish their
studies in the designated time. Only 11% are members of a student association like Saurus,

Circumflex, Tragos or Koko; 36% are members of a study organization such as

Concordantia, UNSA or Scope.
prevalence of German and Dutch students is not surprising when comparing it to Maastricht
Universitys student population. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that students of all EU member
states participated in the survey. Figure 3 includes only those nationalities with at least 2%
representation in the survey. The category other refers to the remaining nationalities as well
as to students with a dual nationality:

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

When looking at the distribution of participants across nationalities, the high

Figure 3: Participation Across Nationalities

45%
40%

40%

35%

28%

30%

22%

25%
20%
15%
10%

5%

5%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

0%

With regard to the last question in the category of demographic questions which are relevant
for the studys analysis, students were asked about their level of studies. When examining
the participants academic background (Figure 4), the high prevalence of third year Bachelor
students can be explained by the method used to distribute the survey, as already stated in

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

the context of the distribution across faculties:

Figure 4: Participants' Academic Background

33%

35%
30%
25%

21%

22%

22%

20%
15%
10%
5%
0%

1%

1%

2. Usage of Sm art Drugs

Of the total number of 517 participants, exactly 25% admitted to having made use of CEDs
themselves during the past 12 months:

Figure 5: Users & Non-Users

Non-Users of CEDs

75%

Users of CEDs

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Figure 6 shows the use of CEDs across the different faculties of the university. It is important
to note that the percentages have been retrieved from the total number of students of the
respective faculty, who answered the question (Q11: Thinking about yourself, have you
absolute numbers but percentages at each faculty. For example, five students from the
School of Governance answered the survey, which leads to a number of 20% of students at
that faculty who admitted to having made use of CEDs for studying before:

Figure 6: Use of Smart Drugs Across Faculties

Maastricht Graduate School of Governance

20%

Psychology & Neuroscience

21%

FASoS

19%

Humanities & Sciences (incl. UCM)

27%

FHML

23%

Law

30%

SBE

31%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Therefore, this graph should be considered in perspective to the findings shown in Figure 2,
Participation Across Faculties. This is portrayed in Figure 7, which directly combines the

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

made use of smart drugs yourself during the past 12 months?), and hence do not show

absolute number of participants on the y-axis with the percentage share of smart drug users
on the x-axis:

Figure 7: Distribution of Smart Drug Users Across

Faculties
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

31%
SBE

30%
Law

23%
FHML

27%
Humanities &
Sciences (incl.
UCM)

19%
FASoS

21%
Psychology &
Neuroscience

20%
Maastricht
Graduate
School of
Governance

The collected data revealed interesting trends regarding the frequency of use of CEDs
(Figure 8). More than half of the users of CEDs had taken their last dose of smart drugs

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

during the week or month when filling in the survey. Only around 7% indicated that they had

taken the last dosage over a year ago:

Figure 8: Frequency of Use

40%
35%

38%
34%

30%
22%

25%
20%
15%
10%

7%

5%
0%

this week

this month

this year

over a year ago

When asked how often those respondents had made use of smart drugs in the past year,
24% of users indicated that they used smart drugs a few times a week, while 8% answered

a few times a month. The vast majority answered a few times in the last year (42%) or
once or twice (27%).

Figure 9: Situations in Which Students Use Smart Drugs

60%

56%

50%
36%

40%
30%

37%

27%
23%

20%
12%
10%

When users of CEDs were asked in which situations they made use of smart drugs, more
than half of the respondents answered with before an exam (56.4%), followed by
whenever I have to prepare something for university (36.2%), during an exam (26.6%),
occasionally, depending on my mood (23.4%) and whenever I have class (11.7%). Of the
same group of respondents, more than 83% answered the question Considering your
personal study experiences, was it worth using smart drugs? with yes, totally or yes, quite
useful. Still, two thirds think that after having experienced the positive effect of CEDs, they
could certainly still study without them.

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

0%

3. Attitudes Towards Sm art Drugs

All participants were asked how familiar they think they are with smart drugs. The results
showed that around 28% thought of themselves as well informed, while the vast majority,
56%, had only heard about smart drugs. 5% indicated that they knew smart drugs only in the
context of medical treatments, and 12% had never heard of them. Almost half of all
participants know at least one user of smart drugs directly, 23% indirectly know someone
(e.g. a friend of a friend), and only one third indicated that they knew no user, neither directly
nor indirectly. 6% indicated that they take medication that might be used as a smart drug
because a medical doctor has prescribed it to him or her in order to treat a disorder. Those
participants named mainly ADHD, ADD, anxiety and depression as reasons for the
prescription. One participant names depression and problems with sleeping because of the
stress. Ofthe entire group of participants, around 43% stated that they already considered
taking smart drugs.
Concerning attitudes towards healthy people taking smart drugs in order to improve
their study/mental performance (Q16), more than 70% tend to oppose or definitely oppose
such behaviour. Only 15% tend to support this, and 4% state that they definitely support such
behaviour. When it comes to the reasons for making use of smart drugs while studying, the
following responses were given:

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Figure 10: Motivations for Taking Smart Drugs

45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%

42%
33%

29%
24%

14%

22%

12%

peer
internal UM anxiety of not anxiety of
pressure to rankings of being able to
exam
perform well
student
cope with
situations
in studies performance
study
workload

stay
improvement
conpetitive
of study
compared to performance
other
students

medical
reasons

Additionally, students could also imagine reasons like the following: Highly competitive world
where a Bachelor's degree has lost a lot of its worth, Having to catch up time due to meet a
deadline and work extensive hours, Curiosity, Stay alert and energetic and not sleepy so
that you can study all day and also at night, Addiction, To receive their degree in general,
having no re-sits, It is cool. Acceleration of fuelling up with Red Bull, Feeling overwhelmed
by work load, trying to ensure time for leisure time, so they want to speed up the time they

spend studying or Have to be in top of class in order to get a job. Also angry responses
were amongst the answers: They are lazy fucks, taking the easy way out, fucking up their
livers and making it hell for people like me that actually need the drugs to get their
prescription filled.
Several students, even those not taking smart drugs, believe that the use of smart
drugs is acceptable. They stated that they take it themselves, it's their body and it's not my
business what crap substances they put in their bodies, that they have too much to learn
and not enough time, or that academic performance is never fair. So many factors
contribute to academic performance, which are never fair in the first place. Furthermore, I
know that just popping pills does not help, self work is still required. Finally, I would label
coffee a smart drug. No one would call that unfair.
The majority of students, however, condemn those who take smart drugs in order to
enhance academic performance, because of reasons like Everybody should have equal
chances and performances and students need to know or learn they can deal with situations
by themselves, without drugs, because drugs are medication, they have side effects and
ultimately a drug using student won't be able to learn anything or perform well without drugs,
or because If enough students do it, it will raise the average performance, lowering the
grades of non drug-taking students. Still, 70% of the participants, including both, users and
non-users of CEDs, are against the introduction of penalties by Maastricht University, and
only 15% are in favour of measures like drug-testing before exams.

Regarding the sources of supply of smart drugs amongst Maastricht University students, only
7 students, of the total number of those using CEDs, purchased them online. The remaining
87 participants obtained their supply mainly on the street, but also in the library, their faculty
or other UM buildings, as shown in Figure 11:

Figure 11: Sources of Supply

Other university buildings

9%

Faculty

7%

Library

21%
64%

On the street
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

4. Sources of Supply

10

Besides this information, hardly any of the participants knew from which country their supply
originally came from.

Discussion
This study aimed at tracing whether Maastricht University students take smart drugs as well
as gaining a deeper understanding of their motivation and attitudes towards the use of these
drugs for study purposes. The results of the survey indicate that on average 25% of the
students sampled use smart drugs to enhance their study performance. This contrasts with
the common perception among university officials that the abuse of smart drugs by students
is no issue at Maastricht University. The results support the findings of other studies where
researchers also found that 5.4% - 34% of students take smart drugs for study purposes.8
Across faculties, the data shows similar usage rates between 19% (FASoS) and 30%
(SBE and Law). Although the rates of smart drug use are considerably high at all faculties,
the differences might be explainable by different types of work, for example multiple choice
exams versus research papers, which require different styles of studying, writing and exam
preparation. Those vary on the scale between mere learning by heart and creative tasks,
where the use of smart drugs seems to be more beneficial to those students whose creativity
is least demanded. Also different styles of teaching and motivation, both from official side as
well as from the side of students themselves, might play a role: A stronger orientation
The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

towards possible future careers as compared to intrinsically explore a field of study might

11

lead to high levels of peer pressure and could thus, favour the use of smart drugs at certain
faculties, which are more career-oriented than others. Yet this study did not aim at explaining
this particular issue and thus cannot pinpoint exact reasons for these fluctuations, but only
lay out overall impressions gained in conversations with students and by analysing openended questions.
The majority of smart drug users took them within the past year. Yet, more students
took smart drugs this week than this month. The study was conducted over a period
including normal teaching weeks as well as exam weeks and the respondents named as
situations in which they take the drugs not only before an exam but also when preparing
something for university. Therefore, the use of smart drugs for study purposes is current
issue at Maastricht University, which cannot and should not be neglected.
Regarding motivations for making use of smart drugs, most students listed to improve
performance, cope with the workload and stay competitive. Hence, the main explanation for
the considerable proportion of students taking smart drugs is the high workload and the

Emanuel, Frellsen, Kashima, Sanguino, Sierles, & Lazarus, 2012; DeSantis, Webb, & Noar, 2008; McCabe,
Knight, Teter, & Wechsler, 2005; Babcock & Byrne, 2000; McCabe & Teter, 2007; Teter, McCabe, LaGrange,
Cranford, & Boyd, 2006; Van Hal, Rosiers, Hublet, Damme & Maes, 2011; Rabiner, Anastopoulos, Costello,
Hoyle, McCabe, & Swartzwelder, 2009; Eickenhorst, Vitzthum, Klapp, Groneberg, & Mache, 2012; Teter,
Esteban, McCabe, Cranford, Boyd, & Guthrie, 2005; White, Becker-Bease, & Grace-Bishop, 2006.
8

competitive environment at Maastricht University. According to studies conducted in the US,

a highly competitive environment at American colleges is indicative for smart drug (ab-)use.9
This study has a number of limitations that should be taken into account. Due to its
exploratory nature as well as limited time and resources, no pilot survey could be conducted
in order to ensure that the questions were understood. Furthermore, the sample is not fully
representative since FASoS is slightly overrepresented and the survey was promoted mainly
via Facebook. Although both users and non-users were addressed by the survey, it is
possible that users were more inclined to participate. Additionally, students may have not
always provided true answers, and may have even lied, which is a common problem in
survey research. This has to be borne in mind when interpreting the results. Accordingly, the
results are only indicative of the smart drug use and the actual percentage of smart drug
users may actually be lower or higher than 25%. Still, this study provides striking results and
reveals that smart drug use, indeed, is an issue among Maastricht University students, which
should be recognized by university officials, staff and councillors. Further research should
aim at a larger and more representative student sample as well as qualitative in-depth
interviews with selected students. Further research could also try to assess the actual effects
of taking such drugs on performance. However, this would require linking drug use to
identifiable individuals, which could raise major methodological and ethical problems.

How can the issue of smart drug (ab-)use at Maastricht University be addressed? Possible
options are considered and discussed in the light of opinions among academics. Probably
not surprisingly, only very few scholars are in favour of smart drug use by students. For
instance, Greely and colleagues welcome new methods of improving our brain function . . .
[which] will be increasingly useful for improved quality of life and extended work
productivity.10 Similarly, Libertarians claim that, provided that the individual is cognisant of
the potential side effects, they are free to make their own decision to take nootropics.11
Yet, this view can be considered problematic when applying it to the university
context. Besides health risks, ranging from known short-term effects, such as increased
hearth rate or insomnia, to largely unknown long-term effects, there are issues of fairness
and ethics involved in the debate around smart drugs.12
Many claim that smart drug use by students creates a comparative advantage for
those who take them.13 Hence, the use of smart drugs can be considered a form of cheating.
Furthermore, taking these drugs regularly is only affordable for wealthy students, which adds

Wilens et al., 2008

Greely et al., 2008, p. 705.
11
Cakic, 2009, p. 613.
12
Cakic, 2009, p. 613; Ragan, Bard, & Singh, 2013, p. 594.
13
Lamkin, 2012, p. 349; Scheske & Schnall, 2012; Ragan, Bard, & Singh, 2013, p. 594.
9

10

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Recommendations

12

to the disadvantage for students with fewer resources.14 Yet, particularly for this reason,
smart drug usage could also be compared with private tutoring, which is not prohibited.15
Another issue is that the use of smart drugs by some students is likely to result in peer
pressure for others to use them, too.16
Consequently, we consider two possible ways to address the issue of smart drug use
at Maastricht University, namely penalties or prevention, since we believe that encouraging
the use of smart drugs as some scholars do is not an option.
Penalties may take the shape of a procedure with different steps depending on
whether the student took the drug once or repeatedly. It could include warnings, mandatory
counseling, failure of the exam/paper written under influence of the drugs, and as a last
resort suspension from the university. In order to introduce penalties, the use of smart drugs
by healthy students would first have to be prohibited by the exam board, by altering the
examination rules, just like the use of mobile phones in exams. Still, the ease with which
[smart drugs] can still be obtained demonstrate the inability of prohibition to control their illicit
supply effectively.17
Secondly, some kind of testing would have to be introduced in order to trace whether
students took the drugs. This is however, where the matter becomes unfeasible. On the one
hand, due to restricted resources and privacy concerns it is impossible and undesirable to
test individual students. On the other hand, even if testing was introduced, it is not certain
whether smart drugs could be actually traced in blood or urine. Furthermore, students who
need the drugs due to medical conditions, would have to prove every time that they are
actually legally taking the drugs. Hence, penalties can be ruled out as feasible option.
The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Prevention remains the only alternative in order to reduce smart drug use among students.

13

Among the options could be awareness campaigns or stress management courses. The
latter are, however, already offered by the Student Service Centre. Still, as with other drugs
such as cigarettes, alcohol or illegal drugs, it has become evident in the past that such soft
measures were largely not effective. Hence, there must be other ways to address the issue
of smart drug use.
In fact, most prevention measures would only deal with the result of the main reason
why students take smart drugs, namely the very high workload and competitive environment
at Maastricht University. We believe that only measures tackling the actual cause of the
problem can effectively reduce smart drug use among students. Accordingly, the university
should consider reducing the workload, introducing reflection weeks and adapting the
academic calendar to take some pressure off the students.
Lamkin makes an interesting remark in this regard: in our culture education is often
viewed not as intrinsically valuable, but as a means to obtaining external rewards.18 Hence,
students are under pressure to compete and perform better. According to Lamkin, prohibition
Cakic, 2009, p. 612; Lamkin, 2012, p. 349.
Cakic, 2009, p. 612.
16
Cakic, 2009, p. 612; Lamkin, 2012, p. 352.
17
Cakic, 2009, p. 613.
18
Lamkin, 2012, p. 352.
14
15

of smart drugs would actually affirm the value of these drugs in the context of education,
since it is precisely these advantages that motivate the ban. Instead he suggests:
we . . . need to argue that these drugs are not helpful after all. The most effective way to send that
message is by making it true. That requires restructuring incentives to align them with the appreciation of
educations internal goods, so that students are not rewarded for taking shortcuts. While the seeming
simplicity of prohibition may hold some superficial appeal, gradually reshaping the culture of higher
education will yield better results.19

It is not only the responsibility of students and parents, but also of universities to care for the
physical and mental well-being of students. In the light of Lamkins suggestions, this report
shall serve as an initial point not only for Maastricht University, but also for other institutions

19

Lamkin, 2012, p. 353.

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

of higher education, to sustainably reshape educational culture.

14

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Rabiner, D. L., Anastopoulos, A. D., Costello, E. J., Hoyle, R. H., McCabe, S. E., &
Swartzwelder, H. S. (2009). Motives and perceived consequences of nonmedical ADHD
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Journal of Attention Disorders, 13, 259-270.

Ragan, C. I., Bard, I., & Singh, I. (2013). What should we do about student use of cognitive
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Scheske, C., & Schnall, S. (2012). The Ethics of Smart Drugs: Moral Judgments About
Healthy People's Use of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs. Basic and Applied Social Psychology,

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Teter, C. J., McCabe, S. E., Cranford, J. A., Boyd, C. J., & Guthrie, S. K. (2005). Prevalence
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Annex
The Survey
Dear Participant,
As part of the 3rd year BA European Studies Honours Programme When medicine goes
offshore, we are conducting a survey for Maastricht University, regarding the use of CEDs
(cognitive enhancing drugs) also known as smart drugs - such as Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil /
Provigil and other methylphenidates and amphetamines - among students. This also includes
illicit drugs, such as speed or pep, ecstasy and cocaine, when used for studying purposes.
We are interested in the answers of both users and non-users. We would like to ask you to
help us with this study, by completing the questionnaire below.
The data we gather are strictly anonymous, and are only intended for scientific research. You
can skip any question you prefer not to answer. As there are no rules and regulations by the
university concerning this topic, the data obtained are purely intended to assess the way UM
students deal with pressure and workload and the economic consequences thereof.
If clarifications are required, please do not hesitate to ask us. If you would like further
information about this study, please contact our supervisor Prof. Dr. Sally Wyatt
(sally.wyatt@maastrichtuniversity.nl). If you are interested in the results of this survey, please
follow the UM newsletter toward the end of the academic year.
We are grateful for your help with this study!
Mareike Mller, Melanie Welters, Franca Knig, Lena Nover and Anne Toss

** Once a question has been answered, this answer cannot be changed anymore.

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

* questions marked with (*) must be answered. They are not related to the use of smart drugs.

18

About you
1.

Participants sex:*
Female
Male
Other

2.

Year of birth:*
19_____

3.

At which faculty do you study?*

SBE
Law
FHML
Humanities and Sciences (incl. UCM)
FASoS
Psychology and Neurosciences
Maastricht Graduate School of Governance
Other

4.

At what level are you currently studying?*

Bachelor, year 1
Bachelor, year 2

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Bachelor, year 3

19

Master
PhD
5.

Do you currently have a study delay?*

Yes
No

6.

What is your nationality?*

__________________

7.

Are you member of a student association, such as Circumflex, Koko or Saurus (etc.)?*
Yes
No

8.

Are you member of a study organization, such as UNSA, Concordantia or Scope (etc.)?
Yes
No

About sm art drugs

9.

How familiar are you with CEDs or so-called smart drugs ((Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil /
Provigil, methylphenidates, amphetamines, speed, pep, ecstasy, cocaine - when used for
studying)?
Well informed
Heard about it
Only for medical purposes
Not at all

10. Do you know anyone who has taken smart drugs for studying?

Yes directly (i.e. a friend)

Yes, indirectly (i.e. a friend of a friend)
No, no one
11. Thinking about yourself, have you made use of smart drugs yourself during the past 12

months?
Yes (continue with question 12)
No (continue with question 14)
12. If yes, how often?

13. When was the last time you experienced smart drugs?

This week
This month
This year
Over a year ago
14. Do you take any medication that might be used as a smart drug, because it has been

prescribed to you by a medical doctor in order to treat a disorder (such as attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder, depression, or problems with sleeping)?
No
Yes, please specify reason for prescription:
______________________________________
Attitudes towards sm art drugs and their usage
15. Have you ever considered using smart drugs?

Yes
No

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

Once or twice
A few times in the last year
A few times a month
A few times a week

20

16. In recent years, there are reports on people who use smart drugs to improve their

study/mental performance, although they have not been diagnosed with disorders such
as ADHD. What do you think of healthy people taking smart drugs in order to improve
their study/mental performance?
Definitely support
Tend to support
Tend to oppose
Definitely oppose
No opinion
17. What do you think: Why do UM students make use of smart drugs? Considering the

following reasons, please rank them on a scale from 1 to 4. Please tick only one option
per reason.
Medical reasons
Improvement of study performance
Stay competitive compared to other students
Anxiety of exam situations
Anxiety of not being able to cope with study workload
Internal UM rankings of students performance
Peer pressure to perform well in studies
18. Can you think of other reasons?

No
Yes, please specify___________________________________

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

19. Do you think that peer pressure to perform well at one's studies is a problem at your

21

faculty?
Yes, definitely
Yes, a bit
No, not very much
Not at all
20. A friend or colleague offers you a pill that would help you to focus, plan or remember.

Under what conditions would you feel comfortable taking this pill, and under what
conditions would you decline?
Feel comfortable, if _________________________________________
Decline, if _________________________________________________
21. What do you think: Is it okay for students to take drugs in order to enhance their

academic performance?
Yes, because _______________________________________________
No, because ________________________________________________
22. Do you think UM should introduce any penalties for people found to be taking smart

drugs?
No
Yes. What kind of penalty? ____________________________________

23. Should the university introduce drug testing before/during/after exams?

Yes
No
24. Are you aware of any risks associated with taking smart drugs?

No
Yes, please specify: _____________________________________________
25. If you have ever used smart drugs for studying yourself, you will be directed to the last

section of the survey.

Yes, I used them
No, I never did (continue with last page)
If you have ever used sm art drugs for studying yourself, please answer the
following questions.
26. If you take smart drugs, indicate in which situations you do so (multiple answers

allowed):
Before an exam
During an exam
Whenever I have to prepare something for university
Whenever I have class
Occasionally, depending on my mood
Other, please specify:_____________________________________________

Yes
No
28. If yes, how?

Ordering myself
Contacting someone who buys it for me
29. In both cases, please specify the website: _______________________
30. Did you obtain smart drugs personally?

Yes
No
31. If yes, where did you buy them?

On the street
Library
Faculty
Other university building
32. Did you obtain them with a doctor's prescription?

Yes
No

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

27. Did you obtain smart drugs via the internet?

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33. If yes, please specify the country:

_______________________________

34. Do you know from which country the drugs come from?

Dont know
Yes, please specify: ____________________
35. Considering your personal study experiences, was it worth using smart drugs?

Yes, totally
Yes, quite useful
No, not very useful
No, no effect
No, negative effect
36. After having experiences the effect of smart drugs, would you still consider it possible

The Use of Smart Drugs by Maastricht University Students | 10.07.2014

to study without using them

Yes, of course
Yes, probably
Probably not
Not at all

23

Thank you very m uch for your participation. Your data will be treated with
the highest care.
If you would like to receive the results of this survey, please check the UM newsletter
towards the end of the academic year. For reasons of anonymity, we cannot send you an
email with the results.
You have completed the survey. Thank you very much for your participation.
You can now close the window.