Ritalin Debate: Are we over-medicating?
Rhonda Rowland
From CNN.com
According to Rhonda Rowland, “its part of the routine for at least one child in
every classroom across the country: starting the school day with a dose of
Ritalin or other stimulant drug.”
Ritalin is used to help Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
ADHD is a learning disorder that affects a student’s behavior and attention.
Almost four million school-aged children have ADHD.
The number of prescriptions written for ADHD has increased since 1996 from
14 million to about 20 million in 2001
There is no diagnostic tool for ADHD, diagnosis is based upon a doctors
judgment call
Five, seven, even eight years ago children with ADHD were rarely treated
Today children are treated over long-term spans with stimulants such as
Ritalin
Drug companies are beginning to advertise for their drugs
o Positive: Helps parents to learn the characteristics of ADHD and allow
having their child evaluated for the disability.
o Negative: Physicians should be notified of the stimulants, not parents.
The physician is the individual who actually writes the prescription
 Students are being over-medicated
Parents of students who either have/are suspected of having ADHD are being
told if their child is not medicated they cannot attend schools.
Ritalin has many positive and negative effects
Positive:
o Affective in 50-70% of children
o Easiest form of treatment
o Helps children to focus in school
o They help to control behavior by causing less hostile attitudes
o Increases self-esteem
o Helps with social interaction because students are more able to interact
and listen and share with peers.
Negative:
o People have began to use Ritalin as a form of drug in which they snort to
get high
o Some people also get addicted to the medication
o The effects wear off after several hours
o There are many side-effects to Ritalin including:
o Insomnia and nervousness
o Loss of appetite
o Irritability
o Stomach Aches
o Dry Mouth
o Blurry Vision
o Nausea
o Dizziness Drowsiness
o Tics
o Hypersensitivity
o Anorexia
o Heart Palpitations
o Changes in pulse and Blood Pressure
o Cardiac Arrhythmia
o Anemia
o Scalp hair loss
o Psychosis
These are rare, but have been diagnose from use with Ritalin:
o Abnormal liver function
o Cerebral arthritis
o Leucopenia
o Death
Ritalin has many positive aspects and many negative aspects
Students with Tourette’s disorder and tics are not advised to take the
medication
Many children today are being given medications
Without having an exact way to diagnose ADHD how are we sure that the
medicine is treating the right disorder?
Drugs such as Ritalin change the way in which students who use it feel, and
think when they are on the drug
Ritalin has led to increased academic performance for children
It helps students with ADHD to focus on the task and complete it
Medication is the most effective treatment for symptoms of ADHD such as
hyperactivity, inattention, and impulses which affects 75-80% of all students
Ritalin is effective on students who truly show severe symptoms not for
students who are viewed as problem students and exude bad behavior
Evans, K. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Ritalin use to treat ADHD? In Why is Ritalin
over prescribed to treat ADHD? Retrieved November 28, 2007, from
http://www2.gvsu.edu/~evansk/proscons.htm
Ritalin Side Effects / Abuse. (n.d.). Nutrition Health Center. Retrieved
November 24, 2007, from Nutrition Health Center Web site:
http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/ritalin_side_effects.htm
Rowland, R. (2001, August 29). Ritalin debate: Are We Over-medication?
CNN.com. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Cable News Network LP,
LLLP. Web site: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/parenting/08/29/
ritalin.schools/