The 2015 Varsity Medical Ethics debate convened upon the motion: “This house believes nootropic drugs should be
available under prescription”. This annual debate between students from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge,
now in its seventh year, provided the starting point for arguments on the subject. The present article brings
together and extends many of the arguments put forward during the debate. We explore the current usage of
nootropic drugs, their safety and whether it would be beneficial to individuals and society as a whole for them to
be available under prescription. The Varsity Medical Debate was first held in 2008 with the aim of allowing students
to engage in discussion about ethics and policy within healthcare. The event is held annually and it is hoped that
this will allow future leaders to voice a perspective on the arguments behind topics that will feature heavily in
future healthcare and science policy. This year the Oxford University Medical Society at the Oxford Union hosted
the debate.
Abbreviations: (c), Captain; ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; PET,