U.K. Schools Force Parents to Give Ritalin to Children July 30, 2003
News Summary
A new survey finds that many U.K. schools are pressuring parents to give the drug Ritalin to their hyperactive children, the BBC reported July 24.Many parents prefer not to give their children Ritalin because it leaves them robotic, lethargic, depressed, or withdrawn. But in some schools, parents are given little choice in the matter. A number of schools are threatening to expel hyperactive children whose parents refuse to give them Ritalin. Some schools are even warning parents that they could lose custody of their children if they don't put them on the drug.
On the other hand, a Scottish survey conducted by Overload Network International, a parents' charity, found misuse of the drug among children. According to the study's findings, some children are selling Ritalin to drug dealers, while others are trading it for CDs and phone cards.
The study also found that teenage girls without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are taking Ritalin to lose weight.
Based on the study's findings, Overload Network International strongly recommended that the government enhance its control of the drug.
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