One Million Children on ADHD Medications! Are Benefits Worth the Health Risks?

There is an estimated 2 million children diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. alone. Approximately one million of these children are on ADHD medications. Ritalin production has increased more than sevenfold over the past 8 years. Children are put on these drugs as young as two or three years old. It is the most common prescribed drug for children.

School Systems and Physicians Peddle ADHD Drugs:

This drug is being pedaled to the parents by the school system and doctors as a mild drug that will not cause addiction problems. Parents are not being told the side effects truth and being bullied by the school system to put their child on the drug or be turned into child protective services. This is an outrage that is occurring and has been occurring for years. Isn't it interesting that schools get paid more per student if they have the label of ADHD. There is a conflict of interest here, I would say. It is also a fact that in some states parents receive a greater welfare allotment if their child has that diagnosis. CHADD is given money and support by pharmaceutical companies. This is all conflict of interest and the children are paying for it.

There is no discussion that the drugs work but ADHD is not a deficiency of drugs. There are various other factors such as diet, home conditions, divorce, metabolic problems, and other learning disabilities that may be at fault. Kids are being pigeon holed into this diagnosis because it is easy and cheap for the system. At what cost to the children is this easy fix?

ADHD label: ADHD is labeled a mental illness in the DSM-IV used for billing mental problems. That label will not help your child in a job interview later. If the child takes the drug after the age of 12, he is ineligible for military service. This applies to Prozac and psychotic drugs as well. Mental instability and prescription drug dependence is one reason to be refused admittance into the military.

Ritalin (Methylphenidate) is an addictive serious drug: Children are being raised on drugs.

Ritalin is in reality considered a Schedule ll controlled substance just like Cocaine. Ritalin affects the brain in the same way as Cocaine. Controlled substances offer great potential for addiction.

Side Effects of Ritalin: irritability, suppression of growth, decreased appetite, inability to sleep, depression, and personality changes. There have been 19 cases of cardiac arrest in children as of 2006.

Death: Between 1990 and 2000, 186 children died from methylphenidrate (Ritalin). This figure comes from the FDA MedWatch program. This figure is considered only 10 to 20% of the actual figures. There is serious under-reporting for drug deaths.

Reduced growth rate: Several studies have proven that children who have taken Ritalin are shorter than normal. These children were compared to similar groups of children who had ADHD but were not on medication and groups of children that same age that did not have ADHD. These children weighed less than similar groups of children not on ADHD drugs. Ritalin affects the metabolic processes in the body. That in itself could cause many health disorders later in life. Growing children do not need drugs impacting their body system and organ function. In lab studies using rats Ritalin caused chromosomal changes and an increase in certain tumors.

No Long Term Studies: there are no long term double blind studies on the affects of Ritalin for more than 14 months. There have been many studies to tract development and problems. The problem with these studies is that there are many factors known and unknown in the lives of these children.Children are in the development stage when they take these drugs. They have no idea on the physical or mental affects these drugs may have on the body later. Often the toxicity of a drug slowly poisons the liver and body over a number of months or years. They don't know if the use of these drugs make children more susceptible to health problems including heart or liver disease problems when they become mature adults. The side effects listed for all these drugs to impact the heart and heart function.

Ritalin, Adderall, and other ADHD medicines are being abused by all ages of children:

Ritalin is listed by The Drug Enforcement Agency's "Drugs of Concern" Bulletin right alongside Cocaine, LSD, and Ecstasy. The DEA Deputy Director, Terrance Woodworth, issued a statement before the House Subcommittee in May of 2000. He stated," that continued increases in the medical prescription of these drugs without the appropriate safeguards ... can only lead to increased stimulant abuse among U.S. children."

Experiments on rats showed that rats that were exposed to stimulants were more prone to eat cocaine than rats who had not been given stimulants.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported in 2005 that drug abuse among teens has more than tripled over the past 10 years; 10 percent of children 12 to 17 abuse their prescriptions. Marijuana is the first drug that is used by that age group and prescription drugs are 2^nd. Abuse of Ritalin has decreased in younger children but it is stated that 1.6 percent of 8^th graders and 2.9 percent of 10th graders abuse amphetamines.

It had been shown in several studies that adult cocaine users who had taken Ritalin as a child had twice the cocaine abuse rate of those children with ADHD but not given drugs. That should make you think.

In a survey of over 10,000 college kids at the University of Michigan, 25% of the kids admitted using Ritalin non-medically. These students also admitted to using marijuana and ecstasy as well. They really did not see anything wrong with it. They grew up taking Ritalin and accepting this as normal. If Ritalin is ok - why not the rest. It makes perfect sense to them. Children who grow up in homes with drug use often use drugs themselves at an early age. Parents taking drugs set an example that drug use is normal and part of life style. Children often pattern their life from their parents and upbringing.

Adderall is another Schedule ll drug used for ADHD Children. Side effects include: depression, growth suppression, loss of weight; nausea; vomiting; addiction, sudden death, stroke, irregular heartbeat, cardiovascular failure, seizures, and heart attack, hypertension, psychosis, and personality changes.

Adderall can be deadly when taken with antidepressants and OTC cold medicines containing decongestants. Taking decongestants and Adderall can lead to fatal high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythm problems.

In 2005, Health Canada banned Adderall after reviewing the reports of 20 deaths to Adderall XR. This is not even the reports of adverse reactions on record. The deaths recorded were normal usage of the drug not abuse.

Adderall also has a high rate of addiction. It is a crime to process Adderall without a prescription. To be caught using it can involve a fine and prison time. It is commonly abused by college students. It makes it easier to study and get good grades.

A survey of 119 colleges that was published in the journal, Addiction, found again that 25% of the kids had used it as a study aid. These kids are using it as a crutch to pass exams. Kids who were not in college and not under the academic pressure used it much less, in fact 50% less. It costs a little more than a cup of coffee but offers a lot more alertness for the buck. It is used to replace coffee to keep awake while studying.

Concerta: Used for ADHD. Has the same side effects as Adderall above except that this drug also can cause hyperthyroidism. The thyroid function affects every cell in the body including temperature, immunity, mental stability, and is one of the most important endocrine glands of the body. Sudden and death and strokes are a part of its deadly possibilities.

Impact of ADHD Diagnosis on Future Career and Income:

Adderall and Ritalin are both considered illegal drugs just like cocaine when being taken without a prescription. You can be fined and put in jail. If caught with it, it goes on your public arrest record. This could cost you admittance into college, eligebility for a scholarship, job acceptance and job promotions. On most job applications you will be required to admit to taking the drug for ADHD. If you lie, it will show on your health records. The ADHD diagnosis will affect your health insurance rates. If will affect your ability to enter the military.

I have included links below to further research why ADHD medicines are not safe. Please read and research this subject before you allow your children to be put on these medications.

References:

http://fc.units.it/ppb/neurobiol/Neuroscienze%20per%20tutti/adhd.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2007/nov/15/latest-research-on-medicines-for-adhd

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/home.php

http://adhd.emedtv.com/adderall/adderall-abuse-p3.html

http://www.soberliving.com/resources/adderall-2013-a-common-study-aid-on-college-campuses

http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/ritalin-abuse-addiction-and-treatment_43.html

http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/ritalin-abuse-addiction-and-treatment_43.html

http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/ritalinabuse

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/drugs/ritalinstats.html

http://www.monheit.com/adderall/index.asp