Ritalin

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million children live with the disorder; in addition, according to Dr.
Daniel Safer of Johns Hopkins University, over 1.3 million regularly consume
Ritalin for treatment of ADD (Hancock 52). Ritalin appears to be a popular
choice for doctors, but the daily effects of the drug, which family physicians
do not see, creates questions as to how well the drug actually works.
Scientifically know as methylphenidate, Ritalin stimulates the central nervous
system with similarities to amphetamines in the nature and extent of its
effects; furthermore, it supposedly activates the brain stem arousal system and
the cerebral cortex (Bailey 3). The key factor remains that doctors and
researchers are not sure of what precisely occurs when Ritalin invades the human
body. Hancock notes that no definite long-term studies exist to assure parents
that Ritalin does not cause more or less havoc in their child, nor does any
disease accompany prolonged usage (52). Testing results released by the ...

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Ritalin. With
assembly line-like characteristics, physicians turn patients in one door and out
the other without conversing with teachers, reviewing a child's educational
level, nor doing psychological evaluations (Hancock 52). After children use all
the Ritalin given with one prescription, new prescriptions are required for
additional doses (Bailey 5). Doctors as well as pharmacies benefit monetarily
from the constant appointments to the doctor and the many prescriptions
respectively, for a drug that may be doing more harm than good. No X-ray, blood
scan, or CT scan determines who does or does not need Ritalin (Hancock 52).
Hancock states that prescribing Ritalin has become more of an ...

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