SMART AS YOU WANNA BE

I am concerned about the tone of Jeff Greenwald’s article, in that the casual reader may conclude that all “smart drugs” are safe. Competent adults, of course, ought to have the right to patronize “smart lounges” and imbibe smart drugs, just as they have the freedom to indulge in dumb ones, like alcohol and nicotine. They should also be adequately warned of possible complications.

Two of the smart drugs mentioned by Greenwald trouble me the most: vasopressin and Dilantin. Both, in my opinion, should be taken only under strict medical and laboratory supervision as their unmonitored consumption may lead to serious or fatal consequences.

DR. WILLIAM A. ALVAREZ

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, UC IRVINE