Attention deficit disorder and its prescribed treatment – Ritalin – are under scrutiny at the state Legislature, with critics calling the disease a drug company-created concoction and the treatment a dangerous sham.

Monday, April 16, 2001

Attention deficit disorder and its prescribed treatment – Ritalin – are under scrutiny at the state Legislature, with critics calling the disease a drug company-created concoction and the treatment a dangerous sham.

That’s why Sen. Tom Neuville, R-Northfield, has sponsored a bill that would direct the state to study just how often drugs are being prescribed to children and would ensure parents are not unduly pressured into having their children take Ritalin or other drugs. Minnesota has been aggressive in treating ADD and ADHD with Ritalin and other brain-stimulants, ranking ninth in the country in doses per capita.

Whether ADD and ADHD are even real disease remains hotly debated. Critics claim the disease is concocted by drug companies trying to sell their products and perpetuated by teachers and parents who are frustrated in dealing with rambunctious children. They say schools in particular encourage drug treatment in order to more easily manage disorderly students’ moods.

Mayo Clinic pediatrician Dr. William Barbaresi, who has done studies on ADHD, wrote that current studies strongly suggest that "while medication for ADHD are effective in improving the child’s short-term functioning, they may not be very effective in improving long-term outcomes." He said other factors, including the right educational programs and being raised "in an environment that encourages adherence to appropriate limits on behavior" are equally important.

Such comments certainly highlight the fact that the nation’s top medical professionals are far from clear about ADHD and ADD. Neuville’s bill recognizes that ambiguity. The bill would allocate $50,000 to study how often the drug is being used in Minnesota and what strategies are being tried before drugs are prescribed. The bill also would give parents more support if they choose not to prescribe drugs to their kids.

Considering the medical uncertainty surrounding ADHD and ADD, and the relatively high usage rate of drug therapy in Minnesota, Neuville’s bill is very reasonable. The bill will remove the state-sponsored pressure now being placed on some parents who undoubtedly feel they have no other option than to put their children on drug therapy.