In theory, I agree with you. The problem comes when something like the drug described here turns out to cause serious problems that may not surface until many years or even decades after they're used. Despite the long-range effects, short-term competitive pressures could force many people to use them. E.g. if many of the biotech researchers are using them to keep tons of complex information in their heads, then what chance would non-users have of remaining competitive? People could end up having to choose to between being relegated to the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, or taking drugs that would say cause a 50% chance of getting a deadly cancer by age 50. This could get really scary.
This is already happening on a small scale with caffeine and Ritalin use. So many people are using these substances, even if they have no real problem -- just a normal attention level and a normal need for sleep -- that it's hard for people who sleep 8 hours a night and don't use caffeine to survive in our competitive economy. Lack of sleep and heavy caffeine use definitely have adverse effects on long-term health, but if you ask most people why they don't just sleep more and skip the caffeine, they say they just can't -- have to hold down the job, have to be at the job at a certain time in the morning and can't leave 'til all the work is done,e tc. And if they don't keep up, their employer will replace them with someone who IS willing to load up on caffeine and get by on 6 hours sleep.
As far as the idiot athletes on steroids are concerned, I couldn't care less. Sports don't matter one iota, and it doesn't matter if these guys choose to give themselves cancer or whatever in pursuit of sports glory, and it doesn't matter if pro and college and Olympic sports are "tainted" because they don't matter anyway. But when mental functions essential to economic activity are subject to enhancement by dangerous drugs, big problems will result.
It's called Capitalism. Would you propose a Maximum Medication in addition to a Minimum Wage? I thought you were called GovernmentShrinker!
But when mental functions essential to economic activity are subject to enhancement by dangerous drugs, big problems will result.
Sweet Reason! A large chunk of our economy derives from people eating "dangerous" fast food. Would you ban that, too?
Many if not most of these drugs don't need to be dangerous, if they're properly used. And until our medical establishment gets over the phobia of prescribing such medications to enhance, rather than just heal, they will continue to be used improperly, to everyone's detriment.