In a new statement released by the American Academy of Neurology, a number of doctors have warned about the ethical and medical implications of prescribing attention-boosting and mood-altering drugs and chemicals to healthy kids and teens.
The statement focused on stimulants typically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Researchers have said the number of diagnoses and prescriptions have risen dramatically over the past two decades.
It was emphasised by the authors that young people with the disorder definitely benefit from treatment but the medicines are increasingly being used by healthy young people who believe they will enhance their concentration and performance in school. This is a worrying trend that could make it very dangerous.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1.7 percent of children in the eighth grade and 7.6 percent of children in the 12th grade have used the popular stimulant Adderall for non-medical reasons. Some of those misused medicines are known to be bought on the street or from peers with prescriptions; others may be obtained legally from doctors.
In the statement, which was published in the journal Neurology, the authors advise that doctors should not give prescriptions to teens who ask for medication to enhance their concentration levels against their parents’ advice.
It’s a simple fact that prescribing mind-altering drugs for healthy children cannot be justified either medically or ethically. Also, the issue regarding children buying the drugs from sources where they don’t need prescriptions needs to be looked at as well. It clearly shows that there needs to be more control over who is getting these drugs, and that parents who find their children are taking them without prescription should look into the matter more seriously.
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