Is the pressure of learning getting to some students. A little birdie told me, that students are taking amphetamines and other drugs to keep up, and if so, isn't it ringing the alarm bells to the government?

Excellent point evolution...

1/ The competitive pressure to excel in education.
2/ The chemical means by which you can excel in that endeavour.

But of course, like all deceptive lies, it is couched in terms of personal advantage and the downside is skilfully hidden.

"If you take THIS, you will be able to study day and night.."

But of course.. the human body has limits and you still need x amount of sleep. But when the exams are close... and you have to get that extra grade average.. who cares about sleep.. take some speed and catch up on rest AFTER the exams.......

but by that time..its too late......ur hooked, and your life goes down the toilet

David. I have always found you to be a delightful, well mannered, insightful, and well balanced individual. And apart from our religious debates, I have found you to be a very useful mammal.

The pressure I am talking about is real, and like some sporting athletes, performance enhancing drugs, is becoming a new trend and I am wondering if the government is aware of this.

I can only think that drug testing should be looked at as a part of studying this increasing problem.

I firsst encountered illicit drugs (marijuana, LSD, amphetamines) nearly 40 years ago at a middle-class suburban high school in Sydney.

They're nothing new - but we certainly weren't taking them to "keep up". From youthful experience, I can say they don't work very well in that respect ;)

I had a mate who used drugs for his HSC. Even in the exam:-) He got a pretty high mark, about 97 TER. Not sure if it would work for all, but I think a small dose would be useful. He has since been diagnosed with ADHD, so maybe he was effectively self medicating.

I think kids are more prone to taking drugs to stay up and party, rather than take uppers to stay up to study. There is though that percentage that are dedicated to their studies and work extra hard to achieve good results, so I guess they sleep less to have more time to hit the books. I just wander how much of what they take in stays with them. Would it be the same as studying if you're straight?

Thank-you all for your input. It was very interesting to see, that most people avoided this issue like the plague, and also interesting, the poll that the morning show ran about drug checks in schools was a one sided affair with only 12% agreed too it.

I think the parents and students alike, know how big the problem is,and said no, because to save the families an embarrassing reality.

So I guess its under the carpet with that one.