Ritalin, use

Ramos, L. et al., Liquid chromatographic/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry enantiomeric separation of DL-fhreo-methylphenidate (Ritalin ) using a macrocyclic antibiotic as the chiral selector. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 13, 2054, 1999. 

BBC, Wide Variations in Ritalin Use, BBC News. Available online. URL http //news.bbc.co.Uk/l/hi/health/7509576.stm. Updated July 16, 2008. 

The trend in Ritalin use has changed dramatically during the last decade. The number of people diagnosed as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased from 900,000 in 1990 to about 5 million in 2000. At the same time, the number of prescriptions for Ritalin has increased from 3 million in 1991 to 11 million in 1998. In addition, the age and the type of individuals diagnosed as having ADHD has also changed. 

Parents are not the only ones responsible for the increase in Ritalin use. In some cases, schools will not allow children diagnosed with ADHD into the classroom if they are not on Ritalin. In the case of divorced parents, one court reportedly took custody away from a father because he would not agree to give Ritalin to his child. 

Within the United States, rates of Ritalin use vary from state to state and from community to community. This variability is known because the Drug Enforcement Administration... 

DEA) has a system called the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) that tracks Schedule II controlled substances from manufacturer to consumer. This system can be used to determine the amount of Ritalin used in different locations, on a per capita basis in entire states or by zip code areas within a state. 

Table 4.1 ranks the states with the highest use of methylphenidate per 100,000 people. Although average Ritalin use is 3,082 grams per 100,000 people, California and Hawaii have the lowest per capita use, with 1,748 and 1,208 grams per 100,000 people, respectively. 

Not everyone agrees. For instance, the organization Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) strongly argues for Ritalin use as a way to improve performance,... 

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF ADHD AND RITALIN USE IN THE UNITED STATES... 

One of the unfortunate realities of Ritalin use has been its propensity for abuse. A number of studies have revealed that grade-schoolers have obtained the drug from their peers who are undergoing therapy for ADHD. In one study published in 2001, 651 students aged 11-18 from Wisconsin and Minnesota were focused on. The researchers found that more than a third of the students who took ADHD medication said they had been asked to sell or trade their drugs. Users have crushed the pills and snorted the powder in order to get a cocaine-like rush. It is hoped that newer-generation products, e.g., time-release medications, will be less prone to this abuse since their formulation makes them more difficult to crush. 

Central Nervous System Stimulants Central nervous system stimulants include agents such as the amphetamines (Dexedrine) and methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin), used to elevate mood, suppress appetite, and control hyperkinetic disorders in children. Other examples include the illegal drugs methamphet-amine and cocaine. The mechanism of action of these drugs is to augment actions of the adrenergic nervous system. 

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