The Drugging of the American Boy (2014)
I don&#x27;t have kids and I don&#x27;t know anybody who has kids on ADHD medication, so I&#x27;m ignorant about this, but I have a hard time believing that people put their kids on stimulants without knowing what these drugs are and what they do; especially when it&#x27;s possible to look up the Wikipedia article on Adderall and see that it&#x27;s nothing but amphetamine. I&#x27;d be further surprised if none of these parents were interested enough to try out their kids&#x27; prescriptions on themselves; I would be.<p>It&#x27;s awfully cynical, but I think that a lot of parents have a good idea what they&#x27;re giving to their kids and do it anyway because they think the stimulants will give them a competitive edge in school, college admissions, and ultimately lead to higher incomes. The cost of not drugging your kid might be that they don&#x27;t fit in, are singled out for punishment by school staff, and end up handicapped by their negative experiences in school. It&#x27;s a very tough decision, even if you know what&#x27;s in those pills.<p>I just wish the dosages were lower. Having tried a few of my friends&#x27; prescriptions over the years, I&#x27;ve found that even &quot;low&quot; doses get me high and then leave me with a hangover. I might be particularly sensitive (I get euphoric from taking 30mg of pseudoephedrine), but I&#x27;m a 180-pound adult. I can&#x27;t imagine what an 18mg dose of methylphenidate does to a prepubescent boy. At worst, the &#x27;high&#x27; from taking these drugs therapeutically should be subliminal.