Misusing Medicine to Increase Grades?
There has been a buzz on the internet lately from concerned parents, mental health professionals and those in the media and it's all about the belief that kids can get into better colleges if only they can get an edge.
The "edge" in this instance is medication meant to help kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Some psychiatrists and pediatricians are talking about parents coming in to ask for prescriptions for their kids; prescriptions that aren't warranted. A few physicians have indicated that these parents "demanded" a prescription for the med.
Is there any science behind this belief? Sure, but it's science that shows that kids with this disorder can settle down and pay more attention in school, have better concentration and can get better grades. But that's when the med is used for kids who seem to have a basic problem in brain wiring, not for kids who have no such problem.
The urge to get the edge in college admissions may have taken a dangerous turn in this one and no one will know what the outcome may be. Once this dash to "juice" a kid and their grades has seen its run end, what will these parents do next? We should all be concerned when medication is used improperly and this sounds like improper use to me.
Related Topics: Adderall Abuse in College Students, Rx Drug Abuse: Common and Dangerous
Technorati Tags: ADHD, AD/HD, Ritalin, college admissions, prescription drug abuse
The "edge" in this instance is medication meant to help kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Some psychiatrists and pediatricians are talking about parents coming in to ask for prescriptions for their kids; prescriptions that aren't warranted. A few physicians have indicated that these parents "demanded" a prescription for the med.
Is there any science behind this belief? Sure, but it's science that shows that kids with this disorder can settle down and pay more attention in school, have better concentration and can get better grades. But that's when the med is used for kids who seem to have a basic problem in brain wiring, not for kids who have no such problem.
The urge to get the edge in college admissions may have taken a dangerous turn in this one and no one will know what the outcome may be. Once this dash to "juice" a kid and their grades has seen its run end, what will these parents do next? We should all be concerned when medication is used improperly and this sounds like improper use to me.
Related Topics: Adderall Abuse in College Students, Rx Drug Abuse: Common and Dangerous
Technorati Tags: ADHD, AD/HD, Ritalin, college admissions, prescription drug abuse
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