Sales of 'memory' pills zoom during testing times, poses long lasting health hazards

MUMBAI: Stress, anxiety and parental pressure may have led to a huge number of kids popping that ‘magic’ pill to enhance memory and stay alert for their exams. Sales of ‘memory’ pills registered a huge spurt—27 % in February and 26% in January this year over the corresponding months last year. The sales perk-up across the country was witnessed right from September 2010, data from consultancy firm IMS Health showed.

Doctors who TOI spoke to said that inquiries for these pills have been on the rise every year, with five to six coming in every day. “Memoryenhancing drugs, if taken over a long period , can cause liver damage and harm the heart, bones and other vital organs. These days teens want to pop these pills, and so seek prescriptions for three to four months preceding the exams ,” Dr Sanjeev Bagai, senior paediatrician and CEO of Delhi-based Batra Hospital told TOI.

Crumbling under the pressure of examinations, most students feel they have no option but to resort to popping ‘memory’ pills, feel doctors and school principals. Carl Laurie, principal of Mumbai-based Christ Church School, said: “Gullible children are being exploited by the pharmaceuticals industry. If such pills worked, everyone would score 95%. It’s a bit like selling cosmetics to women. Students are under tremendous stress, and are willing to grasp at anything they can. This shows a great failure of the system.”

Dr Harish Shetty, president of the Counsellors Association of India, said: “Physicians know that memory-enhancing pills don’t work. They prescribe them as placebos, as the faith that children have in them, helps them. Such prescriptions help parents and children feel safe before the exams . It also works as an indirect method of bringing down anxiety levels before the exams.”

Enlightened parents and teachers need to support and counsel children, said Dr Samir Dalwai, development paediatrician . “As part of the scientific community, we know that such pills do not actually work. It’s more a question of faith, and has the placebo effect. I feel that students, too, know that such things don’t actually work, but continue taking them in a bid to get some reassurance . Society in general is in need of reassurance, and turns either to God or medicine.”

To make matters worse, these medicines are easily available in India, over the counter at chemist stores.
Doctors also said that they are flooded with enquiries about protein and calcium supplements , and kids wanting to boost energy levels by taking hormonal injectables. “Supplements need to be given only if there is a deficiency, while irrational use of testosterone and other hormones are harmful,” said Dr Bagai.

Instead, say doctors, students should avail of some sort of counseling. At least counseling won’t have any harmful side-effects .