To be “more efficient”: 1 in 7 Canadians use stimulants at work

More and more employees seeking performance are resorting to stimulants: a study states that the phenomenon affects 14% of Canadians.

The general director of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors (CRHA) denounced this growing practice on Pierre Nantel’s show, at QUB, broadcast on 99.5 FM.

“People use it because they understood that it could help them perform better,” says Manon Poirier.

These people therefore consume medicines without a prescription.

M^me Poirier points to a trivialization of cognitive doping, which often begins during the academic career. For example, it is so easy to obtain drugs at universities that experts refer to educational institutions as “ritalin cartels.”

The valorization of excess

These people use psychostimulants to concentrate better and take beta-blockers which reduce stress.

“Sometimes, they are more hallucinogenic drugs to support their creativity,” adds the general director of the CRHA.

“There is a social valuation of being in high demand,” she maintains.

In addition to the standards that individuals impose on themselves, employers have their role to play, according to Manon Poirier. She believes that organizations need to rethink their concept of a good employee.

“What we reward is always surpassing ourselves,” she laments.