makes it difficult to run our schools as we do… for the comfort and convenience of the teachers and administrators who work in them,” (Buonomano, 9). The subcommittee expressed concern that school personnel were pressuring parents to give their children stimulants.Since the 1990’s, however, Ritalin use has skyrocketed. In 1994, the broadest definition yet for ADD was published in the DSM-IV. NIMH researchers found that hyperactive children’s brains are about five percent smaller than the brains of non-ADHD children. In 1995, the DEA warned that Ritalin was being diverted for illegal use. In 1997, it was determined that the number of students labeled as disabled hit ten percent of the total school population. In 1998, an NIH conference on ADD concluded that inconsistent treatment, diagnosis and follow-up for ADD children is “a major public health problem,” and that an accurate ADD diagnosis “remains elusive and controversial.” The conference learned that new studies show a clear link between certain allergenic foods and food additives and hyperactivity, but it refused to recommend more study on the effect of diet on ADD. In 1999, researchers reported in September that as many as 18-20 percent of the white, fifth-grade boys in some southeastern Virginia schools are being medicated for ADD. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that at least 17 well-controlled studies conducted over the past two decades show that food dyes and additives and certain foods affect some children’s behavior, (Hartman, 24).It is clear to see that over the years the stimulant Ritalin has become increasingly popular for the treatment of ADD, but it has reached such a point to where it is being over-prescribed. To remedy the disorder, doctors are prescribing the “savior drug” for ADD patients, as though it is the only way to cure the problem. The over-prescription of the drug ...
