One year ago on April 1st, the World Anti-Brain Doping Authority (WABDA) released a statement that scientists would soon be the target of a crackdown on performance-enhancing drugs. WABDA, backed by the Federal National Institute of Health (NIH), spoke of impending drug tests for researchers’ use of brain boosters like Provigil and Ritalin. The news spread like wildfire in academic circles, and many scientists – some of whom I know – traded nervous glances over the press release. Was this for real?
They should have checked their calenders. WABDA (a pun on the real-life WADA) was an April Fools brainchild of UC Davis biologist Jonathan Eisen, who coordinated the prank with a number of friends and even set up a website for the organization. While the news was fake, it struck a very real nerve. The viral spread of the prank revealed an actual anxiety should the NIH start collecting urine samples. Ten days later, an informal survey in Nature showed why.
Of 1,427 people working at scientific institutions in over 60 countries, about 20% of the respondents admitted to using brain-enhancing drugs for non-medical purposes. The most popular drug was Ritalin, a drug that treats ADHD, with 62% of users. The second most popular was Provigil, a drug to improve awakeness in narcoleptics; 44% of users take it. 15% of users admitted to using beta-blockers, drugs designed for cardiac arrhythmias which have an anti-anxiety effect. Most respondants reported that they used the drugs to improve their concentration, memory and focus. Others pointed to treating jet-lag, partying, housecleaning, and a wide variety of other purposes.
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