The Dark Side of "Smart Drugs": Cognitive Enhancement vs. Clinical Concerns

The European Union Drugs Agency has emphasized the increasing difficulty in monitoring the drug market due to the emergence of new psychoactive substances, often marketed as legal highs. The proliferation of fake pharmacies, drugstores, and e-commerce platforms has made access to illicit substances alarmingly rapid and inexpensive. These substances are readily available without medical prescriptions, lacking proper risk assessments or monitoring of potential adverse effects, raising significant public health concerns. Today, the relentless pursuit of validation and success-often, at any cost-has led to an exponential rise in the use of cognitive and mood enhancers. Such substances are frequently consumed to manage demands related to work, diet, sexuality, sleep, achievement, and interpersonal relationships. Consequently, investigating these phenomena is critically important for institutions, as they represent a serious threat to individual development and health. Developing effective preventive and protective systems is essential. This review provides an overview of currently available smart drugs, discussing their desired and adverse neuropharmacological effects, psychological implications, and cognitive decline resulting from their excessive and unregulated use. This review concludes that a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular identification, micro-morphological analysis, and chemical characterization is crucial for the accurate detection, monitoring, and risk mitigation of new psychoactive substances.