Ritalin controversy

Prozac and Paxil can now be prescribed to children as young as 7. However, there is much opposition to the idea of giving small children a mood-altering drug. Similar to the Ritalin controversy, parents feel that children on Prozac will not be able to mature emotionally, that an SSRI acts like a crutch for the child who should be dealing with problems causing the depression. The other side of the argument is that with some children there is no readily identifiable cause for depression ... 

Another major safety concern in the treatment of youth with SUD is abuse of prescribed medications. Particular controversy has arisen around the use of stimulant medication in youth with SUD and ADHD. In one controlled study of adults, the use of methyl-phenidate (Ritalin) did not increase cocaine use or craving for cocaine (Grabowski et ah, 1997), suggesting that the abuse potential of stimulants may be overestimated. Riggs et al. (1996) did not report any difficulties with abuse when administering pemoline (Cylert) to a group of adolescents with SUD and ADHD. While Riggs and associates have observed that... 

Because of these opposing viewpoints, the medical use of Ritalin has become quite controversial. Many books and articles have been published on the subject, raising the public s awareness about the drug and its effects, and leaving many to wonder whether Ritalin is a miracle pill that solves a medical problem or a way of drugging children into being more compliant and easy to handle. 

One of the most controversial CNS-acting drugs in contemporary society is methylphenidate (Ritalin ). This drug is structurally related to amphetamine and is a mild stimulant that has abuse potential similar to amphetamine. Methylphenidate is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance. It is effective in the treatment of narcolepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Its use in ADHD has caused the greatest controversy. 

In summary, Ritalin s advocates view it as a nearly miraculous treatment for ADHD, whereas its detractors argue that it is a greatly overprescribed drug with substantial abuse potential. This controversy cannot be resolved here and is expected to be a major research focus in the next decade. Hopefiil developments are the introduction of new nonstimulant drugs, atomoxetine (Strattera) and modafinil (Provigil) that appear to be effective in the treatment of ADHD but may present fewer problems to the user (Waxmonsky, 2005). 

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