Running on Ritalin

Diller, L. H. Running on Ritalin A Physician Reflects on Children, Society and Performance in a Pill. New York Bantam Books, 1998. 

The short-term positive effects of Ritalin on children s behavior have been reported by parents and teachers. According to Lawrence H. Diller in his book Running on Ritalin, Between 60 and 90 percent of children with attention,... 

Running on Ritalin, testified in front of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. There is no question in my mind that Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, in many Contra Costa (California) schools, would be carrying the diagnoses of ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder, and put on at least one medication, if not two. 9... 

According to Diller, author of Running on Ritalin, The families [who bring their children to his practice thinking ADHD is behind their problematic behavior] are mostly white, middle-and upper-middle class. In nearly all cases, at least one parent has a job in most families, both parents are working. 22... 

All of the DEA s observations run contrary to the Ritalin label as found in the Physicians Desk Reference (2007), which continues to identify this potent, highly addictive drug as a mild central nervous system (CNS) stimulant (p. 2269), misleading doctors and consumers alike. Although the DEA and all responsible pharmacologists view Ritalin as essentially similar to amphetamine, the dependence warnings on the Ritalin label remain extremely weak in comparison to those on the Dexedrine and Adderall (amphetamine) labels. 

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