Coming dystopia: employers demanding workers take productivity-enhancing drugs

[swampwiz]

I was reading this, and it got me very concerned. 

http://theconversation.com/put-down-the-smart-drugs-cognitive-enhancement-is-ethically-risky-business-27463

As employers relentlessly seek to squeeze as much productivity out of the available Army of Labor, they will cause workers to take productivity-enhancing drugs just to have a job.  Directly forcing them will be outlawed, but there will be no way to stop the workers from doping themselves up in the nasty & brutish struggle to be employed.

[DreamFIRE]

@swampwiz  you're always concerned about articles you're reading on the internet.

You need to get away from your computer, relieve some stress, and enjoy life.  You're worrying yourself sick.

[Cromacster]

From what I hear coke and adderall are already rampant in several high pressure fields.  Maybe not directly forced by employers, but if you are working 80-100hrs a week it's basically mandatory.

[DS]

@swampwiz  you're always concerned about articles you're reading on the internet.

You need to get away from your computer, relieve some stress, and enjoy life.  You're worrying yourself sick.

This! I was watching the news the other night because it was on at the bar and I wondered how people who watch the news even get themselves to go outside each day.

[OtherJen]

@swampwiz  you're always concerned about articles you're reading on the internet.

You need to get away from your computer, relieve some stress, and enjoy life.  You're worrying yourself sick.

This! I was watching the news the other night because it was on at the bar and I wondered how people who watch the news even get themselves to go outside each day.

Many of them don't. My uncle is a Fox News recluse.

We don't have cable TV for many reasons, but 24-hour news channels comprise a big reason. We don't watch local "news" either. A quick perusal of the Reuters and local newspaper websites tells me everything important.

[Mr. Green]

Cocaine is a helluva drug!

[merlin7676]

My DH is a lawyer and he said they have one of the highest number of coke users....and heart attacks.

[golden1]

This is already happening and has been happening for pretty much forever.  People used to smoke at work to keep the nerves calm and take the edge off.  People swill coffee to keep awake - they provide it free at most workplaces.  The finance industry is a giant coke fest from what I hear.  One could argue that anti-depressants are used by many to keep people who would be less productive working.  As the 40 hour week goes the way of the dodo, and good jobs get more and more competitive, things will just get worse. 

[powskier]

2 espresso machines and 1 coffee maker at my work, for 8 employees.
Pretty sure they'd give out cocaine if it was legal.

I'm more concerned about all the current dystopia.

[marty998]

This is already happening and has been happening for pretty much forever.  People used to smoke at work to keep the nerves calm and take the edge off.  People swill coffee to keep awake - they provide it free at most workplaces.  The finance industry is a giant coke fest from what I hear.  One could argue that anti-depressants are used by many to keep people who would be less productive working.  As the 40 hour week goes the way of the dodo, and good jobs get more and more competitive, things will just get worse.

Yep... coffee and coke. And energy drinks. Or are you talking the other "coke"?... which I've also seen in use before too...

[use2betrix]

I get prescribed an ungodly amount of adderall and I rarely even take it, even when averaging 70-80 hr weeks for months on end (required to take every other Sunday off, so 2 days off a month.)

I do like my morning coffee and BCAA amino energy at lunch, though.

These things aren’t for everyone or even addictive to everyone. Depends on the person and personality.

[Imma]

From what I hear coke and adderall are already rampant in several high pressure fields.  Maybe not directly forced by employers, but if you are working 80-100hrs a week it's basically mandatory.

Absolutely, and I'm most concerned about the prescription of legal drugs like adderall. I can name 20 people from the top of my head that I know take ADHD-drugs. I recently read an article that claimed about 5% of kids is diagnosed with ADHD now and that up to 25% of teenagers present ADHD-type symptoms and about 15% displayed enough symptoms that they should be diagnosed. Those statistics are insane. And all those kids can get access to ADHD-drugs.

I know these drugs are very helpful for a group of people, but I can't believe 15% of highschoolers need drugs to be able to function. I think people underestimate the risks. They're not taking recreational drugs, just pills the doctor prescribed them, that can't be dangerous. Except they can be very dangerous.

[FIRE47]

At what point will it be easier just to not have humans working at all?  Why pump people full of drugs and make cybernetic enhancements when you can just have an actual machine take over.

[Johnez]

I used to buy energy drinks to keep going at work. My company makes em. Then I figured out that I'm paying to poison myself for the benefit of my company. Eff that. If they want me productive they'll provide the right environment.

[gerardc]

I make a point of never having coffee on days I'm working (software engineering). I feel caffeine is straight up unhealthy when working intellectually. I like it as a pre-workout or on active days off, though.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

All I know is the steak tastes better when I take my “steak-tastes-better pill”.

[maizefolk]

A lot of people in my field "know someone" who takes modafinil and/or adderall to help get grants in by deadlines and papers written. I'm trying to compete (or at least keep up) with just extremely high doses of caffeine.

No one requires this. It's just too many people chasing after too few dollars/tenured positions. I'd imagine in more and more fields the same logic will apply as more and more people compete for a shrinking pool of viable jobs.

[markbike528CBX]

I only drank coffee when I was working in France (it was free in the dispenser).

At the home office it varied from 0-3 of 20oz ~600mL CokeZero(TM)
If I had 3 then I'd be a bit twitchy, especially if I had very few the previous day(s).