Methylphenidate: Calming Chaos or Cultural Genocide?
Energetic, rowdy, animated. These adjectives, often used in describing the routines and milieu of the child, are now not as accurate as they once were. Words such as focused, calm, and attentive can be applied more readily. The differentiating characteristic between these two groups—methylphenidate.
A central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, methylphenidate—more commonly known as Ritalin—is drug prescribed in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) ((1)). AD/HD, by definition, is "developmentally inappropriate behavior, including poor attention skills, impulsivity, and hyperactivity" sustained for more than 6 months, appearing usually during childhood2 ((2)). Figures estimate an approximate 3-5% of children are affected by the disorder. Differing views, however, exist about the legitimacy of the majority of these diagnoses. In light of this, the object of this assessment is to examine the bodily and societal implications of methylphenidate.
The need for Ritalin and other CNS stimulants arises from a decreased amount of dopamine—a hormone closely linked to the motivational process((3)). A deficiency of this hormone can lead to difficulty in focusing and agitated behavior, among other traits1 ((1)). Methylphenidate, serving as a stimulant, augments the release of this hormone. The resulting state is similar to that after caffeine, on a milder scale, or amphetamines1 ((1)). This attribute can lead to the somewhat addictive nature of the drug.
"Ritalin, Ritalin, seizure drugs, Ritalin. So goes the rhythm of noontime for Mary Jane Kemper, nurse at Donald McKay School in East Boston, as she trots her tray of brown plastic vials and paper water...
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3) For School Nurses, More Than Tending the Sick, New York Times,
https://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=4647240a3c4771811b2b45cd0aadb8e7&_docnum=3&wchp=dGLbVtz-zSkVb&_md5=95dc84dc83af97f9effb6c9c5711e3a4
4) Wonder Drug Misused ABCnews.com,
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Living/GMA030225Ritalin_abuse.html
5) Statistics confirm rise in childhood ADHD and medication use, Education-World statistical information,
http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues148a.shtml
6) Medications Reduce Incidence of Substance Abuse Among AD/HD Patients, NIDA journal article,
http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N4/ADHD.html
7) Ritalin Abuse Spreads to Adults The Gazette (Montreal),
https://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=2435240077bc413c1f12274a7ab48422&_docnum=22&wchp=dGLbVlb-zSkVb&_md5=18ef62552ec2b9b4f9507864246cba88
Abu-Lughod, Janet L. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles: America's Global Cities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
Smith, D. A. (1996). Third World Cities in Global Perspective: The Political Economy of Uneven Urbanization. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press Inc.
It has been almost thirty three years since the first federal funding was put to use in “. . . sex education programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage to the exclusion of all other approaches . . .” according to the article “Sex education” (2010) published by “Opposing Viewpoints in Context;” a website that specializes in covering social issues. Since then a muddy controversy has arisen over whether that is the best approach. On one hand is the traditional approach of abstinence (not having sex before marriage), and on the other is the idea that what is being done is not enough, and that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach. This entails not only warning against sex, but also teaching teens about how to have “Safe Sex” (“Sex Education,” 2010).
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cites Ritalin, or Methylphenidate, as a central nervous system stimulant that has a focusing and calming effect on children and adults diagnosed with ADHD. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 3–5% of the general population has ADHD, which is characterized as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. This statistic indicates that one child in every classroom in America has ADHD.
"Sex Education Is More Effective Than Abstinence-Only Education." Do Abstinence Programs Work? Ed. Christina Fisanick. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue.
Psychotropic medications, also referred to as psychiatric or psychotherapeutic medications, are used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They have been used for many years and oftentimes come with dangerous side effects. The side effects that often occur in children taking these medications can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death ("Seroquel information,” n.d.). The use of psychotropic medication to treat mental disorders in children and adolescents is highly controversial because of ethical viewpoints (i.e. parents “drugging” their children to calm them down) and potentially harmful side effects, but one has to take into consideration whether the risks outweigh the benefits when deciding whether or not to give this type of medication to children.
Many children exhibit such behaviors as energetic, running, jumping, playing, and excitement in their daily learning activities. But at what point is a child’s exuberant behavior considered to be hyperactive? All children are supposed to be full of life, wonder, and questions. Today, though, it seems that these qualities are not appreciated; they are seen as compulsions that need to be controlled. While it is true that hyperactivity, compulsivity, and inattention are symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder, these can also be symptoms of other issues.
Stimulant drugs are widely used to treat the symptoms of ADHD. These stimulants dramatically reduce the hyperactivity of sufferers and improve their ability to focus, learn and work. Such medication may also improve physical coordination, for instance handwriting and sports. Research completed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that these medicines may also help children with an accompanying conduct disorder to control their impulsive, destructive behaviours. The three medications that have been proven by the NIMH to be most effective in both children and adults suffering from ADHD are: methylphenidate (Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine or Dextrostat), and pemoline (Cylert). (NIMH 1999) Yet there is currently much research on the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as t...
World cities are cities that have global and national significance, the nature and spatial distribution of these dominating world cities within the global village are determined by various factors.
"Teen Pregnancy Prevention Focusing on Evidence: Ineffective Abstinence-Only Lessons Being Replaced with Science." The Nation's Health Apr. 2010: 1+. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.
Throughout her article, Jennifer Robinson presents a strong argument against the concept of "global or world cities". To begin, she explains that urban scholars have studied the idea of the global city by dichotomizing the nation where a city is located by labelling it ‘third world’ or ‘West’. This dichotomy is problematic for many reasons, including the fact that it favors western principles and promotes the expansion of their hegemonic cultural presence. As Robinson explains, “‘Urban theory’ is based primarily on the experiences and histories of western cities — much as Chakrabarty (2000) suggests that the theories and categories of historical scholarship have been rooted both in western experiences and their intellectual traditions” (Robinson
Several aspects of the executive branch give the presidency political power. The president’s biggest constitutional power is the power of the veto (Romance, July 27). This is a power over Congress, allowing the president to stop an act of Congress in its tracks. Two things limit the impact of this power, however. First, the veto is simply a big “NO” aimed at Congress, making it largely a negative power as opposed to a constructive power (July 27). This means that the presidential veto, while still quite potent even by its mere threat, is fundamentally a reactive force rather than an active force. Second, the presidential veto can be overturned by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and Senate (Landy and Milkis, 289). This means that the veto doesn’t even necessarily hav...
Establishing an adequate supply of food is historically one of the fundamental challenges facing mankind. The modern food infrastructure employed by contemporary society is rooted in the creation and innovation of food production. Its effective utilization decreases the level of societal labor contribution required and discourages food shortage trepidation amongst individuals. It is hard to fathom given the current status of our society massive agricultural-industrial complex that the hunter-gatherer organization of society dominated for more than 99 percent of our existence (Fagan 2007: 126). The hunter-gatherer population was characterized by their primary subsistence method, which involved the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild. The primary methods employed were foraging and hunting, which were conducted without any significant recourse to the domestication of either food source (Fagan 2007: 129). Food production is presumed to have emerged approximately 12,000 years ago as a system of “deliberate cultivation of cereal grasses, edible root plants, and animal domestication” (Fagan 2007: 126). The pronounced change from hunting and gathering to agriculture and domestication can be simplistically designated the Agricultural or Neolithic Revolution (Pringle 1998). The catalytic developments of the Neolithic Revolution mark a major turning point in the history of humankind. The resulting animal and plant domestication established the foundation on which modern civilization was built.
Sassen, S. "The Global City: introducing a Concept." Brown Journal of World Affairs. 11.2 (2005): 40. Print.
Global cities are cities with substantial economic power, controlling the concentration and accumulation of capital and global investments. Despite this, global cities are the sites of increasing disparities in occupation and income. This is as a result of large in-migration and growing income inequality together with capacity and resource constraints, and inadequate Government policies.