Drug Enquirer

NEWS AND FACTS ABOUT MEDICINES YOU TAKE

DEA Statistics Show Explosive Rise in Children Taking Ritalin and Adderall

The number of kids taking Ritalin and Adderall has exploded according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The number of kids taking psychotropic medication has exploded, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The production of methylphenidate (Ritalin) and legal amphetamines (Adderall) have exploded in the United States since 1990.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamines (Adderall) are essentially the same pharmacologically, both are considered having “strong potential for abuse,” and therefore classified as Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Production levels in the United States are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which sets quotas (limits) on the amount that may be manufactured each year, in an effort to control illegal uses. The dramatically rising production quotas shown below mirror the unprecedented high demand for ADHD prescriptions in the United States.

U.S. Annual Production Quota in kilograms: methylphenidate and amphetamine
SOURCE of Data: U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration: Diversion Control Division: Federal Register Notices.

Skyrocketing Abuse of Prescription Meds

Prescription drug abuse is now the nation's fastest-growing drug problem, according to the director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy.

A 400 percent increase in substance-abuse was found in children and adults (ages 12 and up) during the ten-year period of 1998 to 2008, according to the same government study. The rise in illicit use of pharmaceuticals spans every gender, race, ethnicity, education and employment level, and all regions of the country.

ABOVE: Associated Press, July 15, 2010.

United States Consumes 85% of World's Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

Global Methylphenidate (Ritalin) Consumption, United Nations data defined daily dose in millions.
SOURCE of Data: United Nations, as presented before the U.S. Congress by the DEA on May 16, 2000.

The United States produces and consumes 85% of the world’s methylphenidate, according to the United Nations’ International Narcotics Control Board.

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ABOVE: Breggin, PR. The Ritalin Fact Book; Perseus Books Group, 2002. Abreu BE, et al. Influence of amphetamine sulfate on cerebral metabolism and blood flow in man. J Pharm Sci, 1949;38:186–188. Lombard J, et al. The Brain Wellness Plan; Kensington Pub. Corp., 1998. Mazza M, et al. Primary cerebral blood flow deficiency and Alzheimer's disease: shadows and lights. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2011;23(3):375-89.

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Results show taking Flavay Plus significantly improved ADHD symptoms and short-term auditory memory in children in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study performed on 36 children (ages 4 to 14) who had not previously received any drug treatment related to ADHD. Click here for more.