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Close your eyes for a moment ...
Imagine that you are a parent who has just received a phone call from your child's principal. "He has no attention span in class," the voice on the other line informs you. "He grabs toys away from other children when he's old enough to know what's his and what's not. And when he doesn't get his way, he flies into a rage causing a disruption in the classroom. It could very well be that your son is hyperactive." What will you do now?
Most likely you will consult a physician who will put your child on a drug called Ritalin. "This drug will make the life of your child and those around him much easier," the doctor might say. But the question is: Will you believe this?
For over 40 years, Ritalin, the brand name of the brain stimulant methylphenidate, has been used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The disease is a neurological condition most commonly found in children and teenagers, causing them to beco me restless, aggressive and easily distracted. Time and again, Ritalin has been praised by school officials, psychologists, and parents for being the 'wonder drug' which has improved the attention span, grades and behavior of many hyperactive children.
In the United States today, Ritalin is being prescribed for 3 to 5 percent of all school children. That's about 2.5 million people. And that's a lot of people, but not everyone agrees that it should be prescribed on such a large scale.
Take, for example, the case of Matthew Blake. A mere kindergarten student in 1982, he was prescribed Ritalin after his teachers suggested to his mother that he was hyperactive. Matthew took the drug for 5 years until his mother decided to discontinue its use in 1987. It wasn't long before the boy became suicidal. His family complained that the boy suffered "severe and permanent injuries, including but not limited to brain damage, blurred vision, stunted growth, nervousness, depression, suicidal behavior, addiction, spasms, bed-wetting, and disorientation" (Parents Magazine, February, 1989).
Although Ritalin helps a majority of hyperactive children lead normal lives and lessens the stress that families and teachers must deal with, we must not dismiss its adverse effects. Ask yourselves: Should we be using a child's body as a receptacle for dr ugs so that those around the child can feel comfortable with his or her behavior? And despite the fact that Ritalin has been prescribed for over 40 years, why is there such a divided opinion among professionals about the benefits of the drug? These questi ons lead me to believe that the drug should either not be used or that it should be used more sparingly.
You may be thinking, "Well, all drugs have side effects. That's just the risk you take when you try to control a disease or disorder." But think about this fact: Doctors rely on parent and teacher input to diagnose hyperactivity. Schools are often quick t o point out, without professional competence, that a child has a hyperactivity problem. There is no determinative test to conclude who needs Ritalin and who doesn't. And most importantly, there are no long-term studies that document Ritalin's effects over time.
These facts have led many lawmakers and parents to ask whether Ritalin is being overprescribed. The Feb. 29 New York Times reported that "... the International Narcotics Control Board ... documented a dramatic increase in the use of a stimulant drug to te mper the behavior of American children and said the drug could pose dangers to the children's well-being over the long term and lead to adolescent addiction when improperly used."
Dr. Carl Kline, an expert in the field of learning disabilities from the University of British Columbia has commented on the Ritalin web page that "it's my belief that if these drugs were outlawed, children would not be at all deprived of essential medica tion, but that doctors would be forced to make more accurate diagnoses and seek better means of handling the hyperactive behavior of a certain small percentage of their little patients."
You can open your eyes now.
Jill Dellamalva is a sophomore majoring in English. Her column, 'Focused Light,' appears every other Friday.
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