Public officials are positively giddy about purported signs of a decline in teen drug use. Another recent study found that less than one in 10 youths say they use cocaine, marijuana or other hard drugs. Not so fast. The drug, which is classified by the feds in the same regulatory category as cocaine, morphine, and PCP, is methylphenidate hydrochloride. Use of the drug has skyrocketed 500 percent in the past five years, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic episodes and violent behavior.
The Journal of School Health reported that a worrisome number of non-health professionals principals, secretaries, and clerical workers are dispensing the drug. The programs are ripe for exploitation. School nurses and scientific experts have expressed similar concerns. Yet, critics of rampant Ritalin use in the classroom are often cast as pharmaceutical bashers, bigots, or religious zealots. The resolution encouraged teachers not to rely on drugs as a crutch for controlling classrooms.