Miracle Pill or Legal Speed

Methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin and Concerta ) is a stimulant drug prescribed to treat hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention in millions of American children. Methylphenidate was first synthesized in the mid-1940s in Europe. In the United States, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1955. The effects of methylphenidate in the human body are almost identical to those of the amphetamines. Amphetamines—the collective name for levoamphetamine (Benzedrine), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine ), and methamphetamine (Methedrine or speed )—are known to be potent psychomotor stimulants. 

Because of methylphenidate s potential risk for addiction and abuse, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies it in the Schedule II category of drugs, which includes cocaine, opium, morphine, and other narcotics, and barbiturates—all drugs that carry a significant risk of abuse. To be included in the Schedule II category means the DEA must approve how much of the drug can be produced yearly. 

Schedule I, a more restrictive category, includes drugs such as 

Schedule 1 Ecstasy, China White, GHB, Heroin (synthetic and natural), Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Marijuana, Mescaline, Peyote, Psilocin and Psilocybin (constituents of magic mushrooms) 

Schedule II Amphetamine, Cocaine and Crack, Codeine, Lentanyl, Hydrocodone, Meperidine (Demerol ), Methadone, Methylphenidate (Ritalin), Morphine, Opium, Oxycodone (OxyContin , Percocet ), Phencyclidine (PCP) 

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