of ADD diagnoses and the consequential skyrocket-
ing rise in the use of prescription drugs led to the
hotly debated disagreement that centered on
methylphenidate hydrochloride, an amphetamine
more popularly known as Ritalin. On one side of the
controversy were the parents who passionately de-
fended Ritalin for helping their out-of-control chil-
dren and the physicians who cited incident after in-
cident of positive results for their patients. On the
other side were parents and physicians who argued
that stimulant medications harm the brain, curtail
growth, and were being marketed by pharmaceuti-
cal companies for enormous profits.
Impact In the early twenty-first century, the contro-
versy over psychostimulant medication continued
unabated. Because stimulants increase the pulse rate,
which could consequently lead to serious health is-
sues, a great deal of apprehension remained con-
cerning the use of these psychostimulant medica-
tions. New arguments emerged claiming that Ritalin
has the potential for causing long-lasting changes in
brain cell structure and function. Ritalin abuse, in-
cluding the snorting of Ritalin and consequent ad-
diction, became a problem among adolescents. Al-
though it was believed that children would outgrow
ADD, adults were regularly diagnosed with the disor-
der, while social and medical movements sprang up
denying the existence of ADD entirely.
In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) revised their guidelines for diagnosing
ADD. Chief among the disagreements were the dis-
order’s causes, the research methodology, and the
description of the condition as a mental disease.
Also in 2000, the Church of Scientology lobbied
Congress for an investigation of the harmful effects64 Attention-deficit disorder The Nineties in America
A pharmacist holds a bottle of the prescription drug Ritalin and a pamphlet warning about its potential abuse. Prescribed for hyperactivity
in children, the drug has been abused by some adolescents to get high.(AP/Wide World Photos)