Ritalin to correct ADD produces many negative side effects upon patients and society.II. EXPLANATION OF THE EFFECTS OF RITALIN In the vast market of prescription drugs, Ritalin, the most highly prescribed drug for the treatment of ADD, also carries with it some of the greatest medical drawbacks. Attention Deficit Disorder stands tall as America’s number one psychiatric disorder, (Bailey, 52). Estimates suggest that more than two million children live with the disorder; in addition, according to Dr. Daniel Safer of Johns Hopkins University, over 1.5 million regularly consume Ritalin for the treatment of ADD, (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 known 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, (Barkley, 16). The key factor remains that doctors and researchers are not sure of what precisely occurs when Ritalin invades the human body. There have been no definite long-term studies done to assure parents that Ritalin does not more or less cause havoc in their child, nor does any disease accompany prolonged use, (Bonn, 2139). Testing results released by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in February of 1996, show a study of mice in which a rare form of liver cancer arose as a result of Ritalin; however, the FDA still regards Ritalin as "safe and effective," (2139). Offering almost as many side effects as the number of people who take the drug, Ritalin alters many different aspects of the body. A few of the adverse effects that the manufacturer cautions physicians to be on the lookout for include: nervousness and insomnia; loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting; dizziness, heart p...
