To the Point
ADHD and America's Drug Culture
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have rekindled concern about the prevalence of and the treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . Roughly 6.4 million kids aged 4 through 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, 11 percent of all American children – and a 53 percent increase in just ten years.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have rekindled concern about the prevalence of and the treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Roughly 6.4 million kids aged 4 through 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, 11 percent of all American children – and a 53 percent increase in just ten years. Fifteen percent of boys are said to have the disorder and half of them are reportedly on medication. Ritalin, Adderall and other treatments for ADHD are now a $9 billion industry and abuse of those drugs, especially in college, is epidemic. Is ADHD caused by brain disease or early childhood experience? How long does medical treatment last? What are the side effects? Do over-diagnosis and excessive drug prescription create the illusion of easy solutions for complex problems?
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Andrea Brody
Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast
Kerry Cavanaugh
editorial writer at the Los Angeles Times
Sonya Geis
Senior Managing Editor
Scott Kollins
Duke University
Susan Wortman Jutt
mother of a child with ADHD
Peter Breggin
psychiatrist and author