The world of drugs is so vast that listing all substances that act as such is an almost impossible task. There are more classic ones and also more recent ones. But they all share the characteristic of having effects that can be very detrimental to health, and their consumption can lead to addiction. Among them, some have gained popularity in recent years: these are smart drugs.
What are smart drugs?
Smart drugs are understood as a heterogeneous group of substances capable of presumably enhancing cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, memory, learning ability, logical reasoning, or problem-solving. Reviewing this definition, it could be said that it applies to the vast majority of drugs. However, what makes this group of substances unique is their ability to mimic psychoactive compounds. They do this under the pretext of being harmless, having supposed cognitive benefits, or their apparent lack of side effects and minimal risk of toxicity. They are called smart drugs precisely because of their supposed ability to increase the consumer’s cognitive capacities.
This type of drug consists of nutrients and plants, easily accessible in grocery stores or herbalists. We also find synthetic products with relaxing, aphrodisiac, or euphoric effects, as well as medications of dubious efficacy in the treatment of patients with learning difficulties and cognitive impairment (dementia, strokes, movement disorders, etc.). Despite the hypotheses that advocate cognitive improvements, there is currently very little evidence to guarantee such benefits. On the other hand, the number of adverse cases published has increased in recent years.
Types of Smart Drugs
- Pharmaceuticals
There are many medications in this category, so we will highlight some of the most important:
- Ephedrine: It is characterized by effects such as increased mental clarity or absence of fatigue. These effects last several hours depending on the person’s metabolic capacity and the ingested dose. In case of intoxication, symptoms include nervousness, tremors, or panic attacks.
- Piracetam: From a recreational point of view, safe doses are considered to be between 400 and 4800 mg. It is believed that when combined with alcohol and amphetamines, it increases the effects of these substances.
- Methylphenidate: It acts as a central nervous system stimulant. Its oral abuse among adolescents is common to enhance their concentration capacity for studying. Adverse effects of its consumption include cardiovascular problems and the probability of psychotic episodes. An overdose of this drug can cause tremors, hyperreflexia, agitation, convulsions, delusions, hallucinations, or coma.
- Nutrients
They are easy to obtain without any restrictions in herbalists, diet stores, parapharmacies, or sports supplement establishments. They are associated with the consumption of supposedly stimulating beverages and have achieved great media exposure, especially among young people. This type includes:
- DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone is a hormone that exists in the body, although it is also marketed as a supplement. In that case, its origin is plant-based. DHEA supplements are offered claiming, among many other options, to restore a sense of well-being, alertness, or libido, as well as to contribute to the improvement of cognitive processes. The adverse symptoms resulting from its consumption are numerous and include hypertension, tachycardia, arrhythmias, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, hair loss, or vaginal dryness.
- L-tryptophan: It is an amino acid marketed for its anxiolytic, antidepressant, and hypnotic effects. It is sometimes consumed with LSD or MDMA, increasing the effects of the latter. In cases of acute intoxication, symptoms that appear are fever, tachycardia, diarrhea, vomiting, pupillary dilation, tremors, or hyperreflexia.
- DMAE: Dimethylaminoethanol is a substance with antioxidant properties taken to improve memory and learning mechanisms. It also increases concentration capacity. Some of its undesired effects described by consumers include headaches, muscle tension, and insomnia.
- Plants (herbal drugs)
In this category, we find psycho-stimulating herbs that are easily accessible online. The number of included compounds, as well as the possible combinations with other smart drugs, is vast. Furthermore, many of them remain unknown given the versatile and dynamic nature of their creation. It is noteworthy that, due to the belief in cleaner and less adverse effects, the consumption of “natural” drugs has increased compared to “chemical” drugs such as cocaine or heroin. In this category, we find:
- Herbal Ecstasy: It is often presented as a safe alternative to chemical ecstasy. However, the mixture of plants and synthetic chemicals that compose it are poorly understood. It is marketed in the form of attractive colored tablets or capsules, included in packages of 3 to 12 units. Among the plants present in the composition of herbal ecstasy, we find, for example, kola nut, tea, and guarana. The adverse effects resulting from the consumption of this drug include nervousness, tremor, insomnia, excitability, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hemorrhages, tachycardia, or hypertension.
- Nutmeg: It is the fruit of a tree from Indonesia whose properties as a spice are well known in cooking. It has also been used throughout history in the field of medicine. The risks of its consumption come from the quantity ingested. In low doses, up to 15 grams, it produces an improvement in mood, visual hallucinations, and lack of coordination. In high doses, more than 15 grams, the symptoms are more severe and include nausea, disorientation, respiratory distress, delusions, and hallucinations. Above 25 grams, we would be talking about serious effects such as tachycardia, hypotension, respiratory failure, psychosis, and convulsions.
With years of experience helping individuals and families recover, at CCAdicciones we have managed to merge various types of treatment, creating our own model, and we have also established quality requirements for the environment in which we all operate, because we know that it significantly impacts the chances of overcoming addiction.
