Raising Kids To Be Drug Addicts?

From EagleForum.org comes an article titled, “Is Ritalin Raising Kids To Be Drug Addicts?”

The article states that “three to four million U.S. schoolchildren are using the controversial stimulant Ritalin” and that “its illicit use is providing a powerful kick to college students, too.”

According to the article, it was found that “one in five college students on Ritalin are upping their doses or otherwise misusing their prescriptions” with some sharing their pills with friends.

The article states that some students “crush and snort Ritalin as a substitute for cocaine” and points out that, “methylphenidate [the key ingredient in Ritalin] is a central nervous system stimulant and shares many of the pharmacological effects of amphetamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine” according to a 1995 Drug Enforcement Administration report.

According to the article, pediatric guidelines for diagnosing ADHD are “non – scientific” and “subjective.”

The article mentions that, “many high school shootings have been linked to prescribed mind-altering drugs.” According to the article, “Oregon high school killer Kip Kinkel had been given Ritalin and Prozac, Columbine killer Eric Harris had taken another psychotropic drug, Georgia high school student T.J. Solomon had been on Ritalin prior to his alleged shooting spree, and Oklahoma middle school student Seth Trickey was on two drugs described to have psychotic effects when he allegedly shot at four students.”

Although Ritalin has not been approved by the FDA for use by children under age six, the article states that “about one percent of children aged 2 to 4 are using Ritalin or Ritalin-like drugs, and that percentage is increasing rapidly.”

What effect are these drugs having on children’s nervous systems? Are they getting healthier by taking all these drugs?

EagleForum.org: Is Ritalin Raising Kids To Be Drug Addicts?