In China, the saying “the college entrance examination determines destiny” is widely spread in society, reflecting the crucial role and impact of the college entrance examination on students’ life paths. In a northern province, a mother bought “smart drugs” for her daughter, who was studying in the third year of high school, in an attempt to help her improve her grades. However, this decision backfired as it led to the child getting addicted and needing to undergo drug rehabilitation.
According to a report from the Chinese News Weekly on July 11, Yang Hong studied at a key municipal-level high school in a northern province. She consistently ranked in the top five of her class during the first and second years of high school. However, her grades plummeted to the bottom ten after entering the third year. Anxious to improve her daughter’s grades, the mother purchased a type of “smart drug” through unofficial channels.
After taking the medication, Yang Hong’s exam scores significantly improved. Feeling the benefits, she gradually increased the dosage from one pill a day to two or three, even contacting the seller herself to purchase more drugs. At the same time, she began experiencing insomnia, hair loss, palpitations, and even delusional thoughts, suspecting that her classmates were talking behind her back and mocking her. She often felt like someone was following her on the road, needing her mother to pick her up from school before daring to leave the campus.
It wasn’t until a sudden physical discomfort led her to seek medical attention that she discovered the “smart drug” she was consuming contained substances related to amphetamines, commonly known as “ecstasy”. Yang Hong also admitted that she couldn’t break free from the grip of the “smart drug”.
Currently, Yang Hong has been sent to the Beijing Advanced Hospital for Drug Addiction Treatment.
Reportedly, all these so-called “smart drugs” belong to strictly controlled psychotropic substances. However, in recent years, in pursuit of improving exam scores and work efficiency, some individuals who do not have ADHD have been privately purchasing and consuming these “smart drugs”.
Experts point out that behind the issue of “smart drugs” lies the escalating problem of educational anxiety.
Experts recommend not placing excessive expectations on children and, more importantly, not letting them bear the burden of “the college entrance examination determines destiny” alone. The college entrance examination is just a part of life and not worth risking one’s health for.