To the Point
A Dramatic Rise in ADHD Diagnosis
There's been a huge leap in the diagnosis of ADHD in American children. Doctors are prescribing Ritalin and Adderall to treat it. What is it? Are drugs the right answer?
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenThere's been a huge leap in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in American children. Doctors are prescribing drugs including Ritalin and Adderall to treat ADHD. But, what is it? Are drugs the right answer? What are the consequences of widespread abuse in college and elsewhere? Also, another deadly attack in Afghanistan, and how a Democratic State Senator tried to bribe his way onto the ballot for Mayor of New York — as a Republican.
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In this episode
3 storiesDeadly Attack in Afghanistan
Forty-four people are dead in western Afghanistan in one of the Taliban's most deadly attacks in 10 years of warfare. It involved two suicide bombers and the killing of hostages in the basement of a provincial courthouse. Azam Ahmed reports from Kabul for the New York Times .
Read the story8 minADHD 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.
Read the story33 minNY State Senator Accused of Trying to Bribe His Way into Mayor's Race
Michael Bloomberg's three terms as Mayor of New York have been free of major corruption, but a new federal bribery case suggests that machine politics may be alive and well. Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith probably had no chance of becoming mayor -- especially as a Republican.
Read the story10 min
