Ritalin, Pro & Con

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A 3 page research paper that briefly examined the controversy surrounding this psychoactive medication. A handful of psychoactive stimulants are being used routinely throughout the US to medicate children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The most prevalent of these drugs is Ritalin (methylphenidate). On one side of the huge controversy that surrounds the use of psychoactive drugs with schoolchildren are horror stories of addiction, adverse side-effects and even death. There are accounts of parents being forced by school systems to medicate their children. On the other side of the debate are parents of ADHD children who testify that Ritalin is a "life saver" that enables pathologically hyper children to calm down sufficiently to learn and control their impulses (Rogers 50). The writer looks at both sides of this debate. Bibliography lists 4 sources.