Rambunctious Child? Try Coke.

Ritalin, a psychotropic drug developed by the CIBA Pharmaceutical Company in 1950 used in the treatment of ADD, has increased in usage seven hundred percent since 1990(Gibbs 1). In the United States alone, 7.7 tons of Ritalin are consumed, all by people who are not even old enough to drive (Livingston 2). Ritalin is a stimulant that is given to the ADD diagnosed to help them focus more readily on the task at hand.

Prozac is another psychotropic drug employed in the remedying of depression. Major and minor depressions are not the only diseases that Prozac is used i

Eric Harris was responsible for the Columbine High School shootings last year. After careful deliberation and much preparation he planted bombs around the school and went in shooting. Prior to his own shooting spree at his high school, Kip Kinkel killed his parents. Both of these boys were taking psychotropic drugs (Browne 1-2). Kinkel was a recipient of Prozac, and Harris was prescribed Luvox, a Prozac look alike. Another killer kid would be Thomas Solomon Jr.; he brought a 22. Caliber rifle to school and shot six of his fellow classmates in May of ’99. Solomon took Ritalin (Cloud 2).

Admittedly, the drugs are thought of as “miracle drugs” for a reason: that is in some cases they do work. Some children are too far-gone from being able to function in ordinary life situations, and when counciling and therapy are not working, chemical influence may be one of the only options. While downsides to psychotropic drugs are abundant, a few positive attributes can be found. It has been seen repeatedly that these drugs do in fact work well under certain circumstances.

Nevertheless, drugs should never be an alternative when dealing with childhood rambunctiousness. Parents and psychologists are too ready for the quick fix of mood enhancing psychotropic drugs because a child is creative, energetic, and has an imagination. Some of these drugs that are being prescribed to fix America’s children are just the same as the ones that the children are being warned to stay away from. Maybe next time little Billy is not paying attention in school instead of popping a few Ritalin, he would be better off snorting a line of coke.

Steven Bryson was a happy, well-adjusted functional man until a good friend of his died. Due to his onset of depression doctors put Bryson on Prozac in hope of curing him; unfortunatly the drug had an adverse effect. After taking the Prozac for a while Bryson became a completely different person, he acquired excessive debts, lost his job, and committed many act

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