A Ban On Brain-Boosting Drugs Is Not The Answer: Article Analysis
Josh Sheetz
Dr. Leach
WRI 1200
September 4, 2014 To Abuse, Or Not To Abuse
Although abuse of prescription drugs is illegal, universities across the nation are having a hard time controlling the issue on their campuses. In the article “Change Honor Codes to Include Abuse of Nonprescription Drugs,” David Alpert is firm in his belief that all universities should follow in the footsteps of Duke University and add a pledge against the abuse of prescription drugs to schools’ honor codes. On the other hand, in an essay titled “A Ban On Brain-Boosting Drugs Is Not The Answer,” Matt Lamkin argues it is not the study drugs that are the problem; it is the emphasis schools put on competition and credentials, which drives the students to …show more content…
He shows a study performed by the “University of Kentucky that shows 34% of undergraduate students have used study drugs illegally and that number is doubled with upperclassmen.” (638-639) He goes on to talk about how abusers of these drugs find this to be a victimless crime, while in actuality it is not. It is their peers that suffer from abusers’ inflated grades, which unfairly skew the grading curve and GPAs. This puts students who refrain from taking the drugs at an unfair disadvantage when it comes to earning grades. In closing he believes the best way to put an end to this raising epidemic would be to add the abuse of nonprescription drugs to the honor code. He feels this is the most balanced plan, putting little financial strain on universities and avoiding crossing any personal boundaries with random drug …show more content…
His view on the study drug epidemic is more realistic and in line with my views and beliefs. I do not agree with Alpert when he says simply adding a drug clause to universities’ honor codes will solve the issue. This is a great place to start, but it is not going to change anything on its own. If students are choosing to use prescription drugs illegally, less-legally-binding ethic codes are not going to change their minds. Like Lamkin says, if we want to fix the problem, we need to take a deeper look at the actual reason kids are using the drugs and start there. As with most things in life, the solution starts with awareness and prevention. As long as schools fail to put much effort into educating people about prescription drug abuse or to set up systemic preventative measures, the problem will continue. It is everyone’s duty to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs in
Dr. Leach
WRI 1200
September 4, 2014 To Abuse, Or Not To Abuse
Although abuse of prescription drugs is illegal, universities across the nation are having a hard time controlling the issue on their campuses. In the article “Change Honor Codes to Include Abuse of Nonprescription Drugs,” David Alpert is firm in his belief that all universities should follow in the footsteps of Duke University and add a pledge against the abuse of prescription drugs to schools’ honor codes. On the other hand, in an essay titled “A Ban On Brain-Boosting Drugs Is Not The Answer,” Matt Lamkin argues it is not the study drugs that are the problem; it is the emphasis schools put on competition and credentials, which drives the students to …show more content…
He shows a study performed by the “University of Kentucky that shows 34% of undergraduate students have used study drugs illegally and that number is doubled with upperclassmen.” (638-639) He goes on to talk about how abusers of these drugs find this to be a victimless crime, while in actuality it is not. It is their peers that suffer from abusers’ inflated grades, which unfairly skew the grading curve and GPAs. This puts students who refrain from taking the drugs at an unfair disadvantage when it comes to earning grades. In closing he believes the best way to put an end to this raising epidemic would be to add the abuse of nonprescription drugs to the honor code. He feels this is the most balanced plan, putting little financial strain on universities and avoiding crossing any personal boundaries with random drug …show more content…
His view on the study drug epidemic is more realistic and in line with my views and beliefs. I do not agree with Alpert when he says simply adding a drug clause to universities’ honor codes will solve the issue. This is a great place to start, but it is not going to change anything on its own. If students are choosing to use prescription drugs illegally, less-legally-binding ethic codes are not going to change their minds. Like Lamkin says, if we want to fix the problem, we need to take a deeper look at the actual reason kids are using the drugs and start there. As with most things in life, the solution starts with awareness and prevention. As long as schools fail to put much effort into educating people about prescription drug abuse or to set up systemic preventative measures, the problem will continue. It is everyone’s duty to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs in