A.D.H.D Medication: The Brain's Steroids

The number of people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D.) is higher than ever. According to the New York Times in "A.D.H.D. Seen in 11% of U.S. Children,"  nearly 1 in 5 high school boys are diagnosed with A.D.H.D. in the United States. While many people think that this is a good thing, it is also possible that children are being diagnosed purely to help their behavior and perform better in school. Therefore, many children may be unnecessarily taking medication. Because there is no definitive test, doctors can give the medication to anyone who they feels may be affected with this disorder after taking an oral and behavior test.

Many people though are largely disregarding the health risks of these medications. People who take these are susceptible to abuse and dependence. Also because the medication can improve concentration and performance, many students with the medication will give some out to friends. It goes on in many schools, because many students are willing to do anything for a potential to better their grades.

I know that especially during finals, dealing of Adderall, a medication prescribed for A.D.H.D., is very common around my school. Students think that the Adderall will help them focus to study for their finals. This, in my opinion, is a form of cheating. People without A.D.H.D. are giving themselves unfair advantages on tests. I think that A.D.H.D. medication is equivalent to steroids for sports, a drug that can drastically improve performance.

What do you think needs to be done about the number of people diagnosed with A.D.H.D? How can the amount of medication given out be slowed?