Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making
Published on: March 2, 2011
[Taking drugs for performance-enhancing at job: a study in a sample of workers in Paris]
Vincent Gay1, Eric Houdoyer, Gilles Rouzaud
1CIAMT Santé au Travail, Paris, France. v.gay@ciamt.org
Objectives:
the study was to describe the performance-enhancing behavior with licit or illicit substances in working environment, by distinguishing them from dependence behavior.
Methods:
in 2007, 663 workers without dependence at nicotine and alcohol was questioned by anonymous self-questionnaire during the periodic consultation of occupational medicine. Data collected concerned the consumption of substances for job in the last month, socio-professional characteristics, and the levels of stress and job satisfaction.
Results:
at job, 39.2% of workers had a performance-enhancing behavior, including 24.9% with drugs, 10.3% with tobacco, 7.5% with alcohol, and 2.1% with cannabis. This behavior were more frequent for women and less than 30 years and were related to job constraints.
Conclusions:
taking drug, licit and illicit substances for the performance-enhancing behavior at work are frequent and cause consumption varied and repeated. One of the risks which could be a passage to the addictive behavior.
Related Concept Videos
Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Such synergistic combinations...
The Placebo Effect
Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants
Ganglionic stimulants activate NM nicotinic receptors in autonomic ganglia, falling into two categories: nicotine mimetics [e.g., lobeline, dimethylpiperazine, tetramethylammonium] and muscarinic receptor agonists [e.g., muscarine, methacholine]. The first category's action is rapid and blocked by nicotinic receptor antagonists, while the second category's action is delayed and blocked by atropine-like agents. Nicotine, an alkaloid, affects the heart rate by stimulating sympathetic or...
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact

