What is Ritalin? What is Ritalin? How is Ritalin abused? How is Ritalin abused?

Who abuses Ritalin? Who abuses Ritalin?

What does Ritalin look like? What does Ritalin look like?

How is Ritalin obtained? How is Ritalin obtained?

What are the risks? What are the risks?

What is Ritalin?What does Ritalin look like?How is Ritalin obtained?

Ritalin, a trade name for the prescription drug methylphenidate, is a

central nervous system stimulant.(Its effects are similar to, but morepotent than, caffeine and less potentthan amphetamine.) Ritalin often isprescribed to treat individuals(mostly children) who are diagnosedwith ADD (attention deficit disorder)or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Ritalin is abused for the stimulant

effects it produces, including appetitesuppression, wakefulness, euphoria,and increased focus and attentiveness.

Ritalin is available in 5-, 10-, and

20-milligram tablets. The tabletstypically are white or yellow in color.

The Ritalin that is abused in the

United States typically is divertedfrom legitimate sources. In somecases abusers obtain the drug frompeers, friends, or family members.Often individuals who have legitimateprescriptions sell or give away theirsupply. Ritalin also is acquiredthrough theft—from individuals withlegitimate prescriptions or from schoolmedicine dispensaries.

How is Ritalin abused?Who abuses Ritalin?What are the risks?

Individuals who abuse Ritalin either

swallow the tablets or crush them toproduce a powder, which is snorted.Some abusers dissolve the tablets inwater and then inject the mixture.

Abuse of Ritalin typically is associated

with young people—preadolescents,teenagers, and young adults. Theincreased use of the drug to treatADHD—a disorder that is prevalentamong young people—has resulted ina corresponding increase in abuse. TheUniversity of Michigan’s Monitoring theFuture Survey indicates that 4 percentof high school seniors in the UnitedStates abused the drug at least once inthe past year.

Although less common, Ritalin is

abused among adults as well. The DrugEnforcement Administration hasreceived reports of Ritalin abuse amongdiverse segments of the population—ranging from healthcare professionalsto street addicts.

When taken as directed by a physician

to treat a legitimate medical condition,Ritalin has proven to be a safe andeffective medication. Medical studieshave shown that individuals who haveADHD and who take Ritalin orally inproper dosages do not become addictedto the drug.

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For more information on illicit drugs

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Cover photo: DEA. Ritalin 20 mg.

NDIC Product No. 2003-L0559-026

Nat

092303

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to request NDIC products

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to request NDIC products

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to request NDIC products

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Other products of interest:

For more information on illicit drugs

check out our web site at:

www.usdoj.gov/ndic

Call 814-532-4541

to request NDIC products







Huffing—The Abuse of Inhalants

Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth

Drugs,Youth, and the Internet

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Is abusing Ritalin illegal? Is abusing Ritalin illegal? abusing Ritalin illegal?

Yes, abusing Ritalin is illegal.

Ritalin is a Schedule II substanceunder the Controlled SubstancesAct. Schedule II drugs, whichinclude cocaine and methamphetamine, have a high potential forabuse. Abuse of these drugs maylead to severe psychological orphysical dependence.

DEA

Ritalin 5 mg.