ADHD Prescription Drugs Are Abused by Teens
The United States is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of children who are being diagnosed with behavioral and study problems.
Rather than addressing these problems at their root, a large percentage of doctors, parents and teachers are depending on powerful and habit-forming stimulant drugs to medicate the symptoms.
A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that the number of prescriptions for medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased by a staggering 46 percent over an eight-year period.
While many of the children who are given these drugs will follow the doctor's prescription, some will take excessive amounts of the drug to get high, and others engage in "diversion," which includes selling or sharing them with friends.
Another disturbing figure comes from a survey released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which found that more than six percent of students nationwide admitted to abusing these drugs.
Though these drugs may be categorized as medication and obtained through a doctor's prescription, they are not safe.
The number of emergency calls for help to poison control centers for teens who had abused ADHD drugs rose at a rate of 76 percent between 1998 and 2005, a significantly greater increase than the rate for overall drug overdose calls.
Prescription Drugs Are Still Drugs The two most popular ADHD drugs prescribed in the United States, Ritalin and Adderall, are factually powerful stimulants which have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
For this reason, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies them in the same group as other dangerous drugs such as cocaine and opium.
In fact, Ritalin has many strong similarities in its chemical make-up and action on the brain to cocaine, while Adderall is substantially the same as methamphetamine.
When taken in pill form, the drugs produce a measured release into the child's body for a less immediate and more prolonged effect, but swallowing is not the most common method of abuse.
In many cases, ADHD drug pills are crushed and snorted, which makes it possible for the drug to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain far more quickly and effectively.
According to Narconon Vista Bay reviews one of the most bizarre aspects of the situation is that these stimulant drugs are being prescribed to treat symptoms--such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating and impulsive behavior--which can best be described as being phenomena of overstimulation.
Why do teens abuse ADHD medication? A child will normally be prescribed Ritalin, Adderall or another ADHD drug after a teacher or parent has gotten fed up with trying to control the child's behavior in the classroom or at home, such as when the child is having trouble concentrating at school.
This same purpose of the drug is one of the most common reasons that students will use it non-medically.
High school and college students will often take the drug in order to stay awake for an all-night study session or while writing a paper, or will take a dose immediately before a mid-term or final exam.
In these cases, the goal is to get an edge and gain an academic boost by benefiting from the drug's capability of increasing focus.
There are also many cases in which ADHD drugs are abused for entirely recreational purposes, whether individually or as a party drug.
In addition to the high that the drugs may cause, they are also known to cause dangerous side-effects which can include respiratory difficulties, high blood pressure and arrhythmia, tremors, seizures, mood disorders, paranoia, hallucinations and even stroke.
Given the alarming statistics and information through the study about the recent increase in ADHD drug abuse and overdose, it is time to consider alternatives to addressing the problems encountered by the children who are taking these drugs.
Some suggest using anti-depressants or other drugs, but are drugs even really the answer? After all, the ADHD epidemic is a relatively new phenomenon, one that parallels a major deterioration in the American diet and dramatic increases in the time that children spend inside staring at television and computer screens.
Couldn't many of these children benefit from better nutrition and more exercise? The percentage of teenagers who abuse Ritalin and Adderall is not yet as great as those who use marijuana and alcohol, but it is to be hoped that we as a society can put an end to this problem before it reaches such proportions.
Rather than addressing these problems at their root, a large percentage of doctors, parents and teachers are depending on powerful and habit-forming stimulant drugs to medicate the symptoms.
A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that the number of prescriptions for medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased by a staggering 46 percent over an eight-year period.
While many of the children who are given these drugs will follow the doctor's prescription, some will take excessive amounts of the drug to get high, and others engage in "diversion," which includes selling or sharing them with friends.
Another disturbing figure comes from a survey released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which found that more than six percent of students nationwide admitted to abusing these drugs.
Though these drugs may be categorized as medication and obtained through a doctor's prescription, they are not safe.
The number of emergency calls for help to poison control centers for teens who had abused ADHD drugs rose at a rate of 76 percent between 1998 and 2005, a significantly greater increase than the rate for overall drug overdose calls.
Prescription Drugs Are Still Drugs The two most popular ADHD drugs prescribed in the United States, Ritalin and Adderall, are factually powerful stimulants which have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
For this reason, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies them in the same group as other dangerous drugs such as cocaine and opium.
In fact, Ritalin has many strong similarities in its chemical make-up and action on the brain to cocaine, while Adderall is substantially the same as methamphetamine.
When taken in pill form, the drugs produce a measured release into the child's body for a less immediate and more prolonged effect, but swallowing is not the most common method of abuse.
In many cases, ADHD drug pills are crushed and snorted, which makes it possible for the drug to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain far more quickly and effectively.
According to Narconon Vista Bay reviews one of the most bizarre aspects of the situation is that these stimulant drugs are being prescribed to treat symptoms--such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating and impulsive behavior--which can best be described as being phenomena of overstimulation.
Why do teens abuse ADHD medication? A child will normally be prescribed Ritalin, Adderall or another ADHD drug after a teacher or parent has gotten fed up with trying to control the child's behavior in the classroom or at home, such as when the child is having trouble concentrating at school.
This same purpose of the drug is one of the most common reasons that students will use it non-medically.
High school and college students will often take the drug in order to stay awake for an all-night study session or while writing a paper, or will take a dose immediately before a mid-term or final exam.
In these cases, the goal is to get an edge and gain an academic boost by benefiting from the drug's capability of increasing focus.
There are also many cases in which ADHD drugs are abused for entirely recreational purposes, whether individually or as a party drug.
In addition to the high that the drugs may cause, they are also known to cause dangerous side-effects which can include respiratory difficulties, high blood pressure and arrhythmia, tremors, seizures, mood disorders, paranoia, hallucinations and even stroke.
Given the alarming statistics and information through the study about the recent increase in ADHD drug abuse and overdose, it is time to consider alternatives to addressing the problems encountered by the children who are taking these drugs.
Some suggest using anti-depressants or other drugs, but are drugs even really the answer? After all, the ADHD epidemic is a relatively new phenomenon, one that parallels a major deterioration in the American diet and dramatic increases in the time that children spend inside staring at television and computer screens.
Couldn't many of these children benefit from better nutrition and more exercise? The percentage of teenagers who abuse Ritalin and Adderall is not yet as great as those who use marijuana and alcohol, but it is to be hoped that we as a society can put an end to this problem before it reaches such proportions.
