The Dangers of Ritalin

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The parents of six year old James Patrick Smith receive a phone call

from the school guidance counselor informing them of their child's recent

hyperactive behavior. After a short conference, the guidance counselor suggests

to the parents a solution for young James' problem; as a result, the family

visits their family doctor and the doctor diagnoses James with Attention Deficit

Disorder (ADD) during a one hour appointment. To remedy the disorder, the doctor

prescribes the "savior drug" for ADD patients; children are almost always fed

the drug Ritalin, a prescription medicine that packs a strong euphoric punch

(Machan 151). The preceding hypothetical situation commonly occurs in the

United States at a growing rate which may be too fast for the nation to contain.

The over-prescription of the drug Ritalin to correct ADD produces many negative

side effects upon patients and society.

In the vast market of prescription drugs, Ritalin, one of the most

highly used drugs, also carries with it some of the greatest medical drawbacks.

ADD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) stands tall as America's

number one psychiatric disorder (Hancock 52). Estimates suggest that more than

two million children live with the disorder; in addition, according to Dr.

Daniel Safer of Johns Hopkins University, over 1.3 million regularly consume

Ritalin for treatment of ADD (Hancock 52). Ritalin appears to be a popular

choice for doctors, but the daily effects of the drug, which family physicians

do not see, creates questions as to how well the drug actually works.

Scientifically know as methylphenidate, Ritalin stimulates the central nervous

system with similarities to amphetamines in the nature and extent of its

effects; furthermore, it supposedly activates the brain stem arousal system and

the cerebral cortex (Bailey 3). The key factor remains that doctors and

researchers are not sure of what precisely occurs when Ritalin invades the human

body. Hancock notes that no definite long-term studies exist to assure parents

that Ritalin does not cause more or less havoc in their child, nor does any

disease accompany prolonged usage (52). Testing results released by the Federal

Drug Administration (FDA) in February 1996, show a study of mice in which a rare

form of liver cancer arose as a result of Ritalin; however, the FDA still

regards Ritalin as "safe and effective" (Hancock 56). Offering almost as many

side effects as the number of people who take the drug, Ritalin alters many

different aspects of the body. Just a few symptoms cited by Bailey include:

nervousness, insomnia, loss of appetite, dizziness, heart palpitations,

headaches, extreme weight loss, skin rashes, possible psychotic episodes, and

severe withdrawals (3).

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