Seeing the bit of good Ritalin can be doesn’t make up for the complete opposite side of the spectrum of the drug. There have been 51 deaths among children taking drugs for ADHD in the US since 1999 (Boseley). This should be a big concern for parents with children taking Methylphenidate. This monstrous drug has been the cause of 186 deaths between the years 1990 and 2000, and 56 deaths in February 2006. One of these deaths was to a 14 year-old boy named Mathew. He seemed to be completely happy and healthy. Then on March 21, 2000 he suddenly died. He was prescribed Ritalin at age 7. His parents thought that Ritalin was a blessing, but it turned out to be disaster. The normal heart of a young teenager is 302 grams. Due to Mathew’s large use of Ritalin, his heart weighed an extra 52 pounds. Another scary fact, Methylphenidate damages the heart and its vessels.
Elaina Paige Wolff