THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603070481
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORRAINE EATON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
An epidemic of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders seems to have occurred in this country, but there is no accepted explanation for it.
No one knows if some sort of environmental factor has prompted the increase, or if more people with the problem are coming forward, or if doctors are simply misdiagnosing other behavioral problems as ADD and ADHD, said Dr. Robert C. Morrow, a Norfolk physician and medical anthropologist who is an assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
``If there had been a similar dramatic surge with a virus, then it would be recognized as an epidemic,'' Morrow said. ``You might say we have an epidemic of ADHD diagnoses.''
Perhaps one reason for the increase in diagnoses, experts have guessed, is the disorders' changing names. A decade or two ago, the same behavior that is now called Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder would have been labeled ``Minimal Brain Dysfunction,'' or a ``Learning Disability.''
Local students said that there is no stigma attached to youths with ADHD; everyone knows who's got it and some even brag about it. Perhaps, doctors say, it's more socially acceptable to suffer from an attention-span or hyperactivity problem than it was to be labeled brain dysfunctional, even though the behaviors are the same.
``No one wants to be told their brain is dysfunctional,'' Morrow said.
One theory is that the media's increasing coverage of ADHD and its treatments have influenced a greater number of parents concerned about their children's behavior, and those parents are now seeking solutions.
And some have said parents with problem children are seeking Ritalin as a magic cure-all to treat behaviors that could be controlled by other means.
In record numbers, those parents are joining support groups concerning ADD and ADHD. The largest such group is Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder, or CHADD, with 600 chapters and 28,000 members. There are 388 local CHADD members. Another local group, Parents and ADHD Caretakers Experience (or PACE) has worked with more than 400 parents and relatives of children with the disorder, according to Mary R. Hays, who founded the group two years ago.
CHADD has lobbied the DEA to loosen control of the drug. And CHADD has also received more than $800,000 in contributions from Ritalin's maker, Ciba-Geigy Corp., the DEA said.
``The relationship between Ciba-Geigy and CHADD raises serious concerns about CHADD's motive'' in promoting Ritalin, the DEA report said.
Ciba-Geigy spokesman Todd P. Forte said that pharmaceutical companies have a long history of making contributions to patient support groups, and that the funds are given with the stipulation that they not be used to promote the drug. ILLUSTRATION: VIRGINIA'S GROWING CONSUMPTION OF METHYLPHENIDATE
Graphic
KEN WRIGHT
The Virginian-Pilot
SOURCES: US Drug Enforcement Administration
RITALIN FACTS
What is it?
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is made by Ciba-Geigy Corp. and is
supplied in 5-, 10- and 20-mg tablets. It is a stimulant used mainly
to treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) in children and adults.
How is is abused?
The tablets produce a mild stimulant effect when taken as
directed. Increased doses produce a more powerful stimulant effect.
When the tablets are crushed into powder and snorted like cocaine,
or dissolved and injected like heroine, the effect is dramatically
heightened.
Why is it becoming prevalent?
The frequency of ADHD diagnosis has surged in the past few years.
The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates Ritalin prescriptions have
climbed 600 percent since 1990. A significant amount of the drug is
being diverted to nonmedical users.
What is the street value?
Legitimately obtained Ritalin tablets cost between 25 and 50
cents. The tablets sold to non-medical users fetch between $1 and
$15.
What are the side effects and health risks?
In normal doses, users may experience a few, or several, of these
problems: insomnia, nervousness, nausea, appetite loss, dizziness,
changes in heart rate and blood pressure, skin rashes and itching,
abdominal pain and digestive problems, drug dependence and
depression upon withdrawal.
High doses may produce: tremors and muscle twitching, fevers,
convulsions and headaches, irregular heartbeat, anxiety,
hallucinations, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless
tasks, the sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin,
death.
* Source: Indiana Prevention Resource Center
by CNB