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An Educational Perspective
Based on Information Contained In
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Factline on Ritalin ®.
By the end of this presentation:
you will have…
(1) Been exposed to general information about
Ritalin ®.
(2) Learned some basic facts about non-prescription
Ritalin ® users in Indiana.
(3) Viewed the potential consequences of Ritalin ®
use, both short-term and long-term.
(4) Learned about prevention efforts in Indiana.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Ritalin ®, methylphenidate, is a stimulant which enhances brain
activity and increases alertness and energy.
The drug is used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy.
When used by individuals without the aforementioned conditions,
Ritalin ® creates a stimulant-like by increasing focus and
attentiveness. This makes it an attractive drug of abuse among
teenagers.
Ritalin® is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation in 5, 10, and 20 milligram tablets, and in
sustained release form (SR) tablets.
Ritalin® appears in pill or tablet form. However, several
companies produce Methylphenidate (Ritalin’s active
ingredient); therefore, tablets vary in appearance depending
on the dosage and manufacturer. The pharmaceutical name
for Methylphenidate is Ritalin® or Concerta®.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
teenagers of middle- and upper-class
socioeconomic status are most likely to abuse the
drug.
Data collected during The National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse report the percentage of 12
to 17 year olds who reported using stimulants once
in their lifetime was 4% in 2000.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
- Survey measures indicate a decline in Ritalin ® use among
youth between 2001 and 2004.
Source: Indiana Prevention Resource Center, 2005.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Acquiring Ritalin ® is not difficult:
- Ritalin is prescribed for the treatment of ADD/ADHD to an
estimated 1 million adults and 2 to 4 million children.
- Teens may acquire the drug from peers, friends, or family
members who have legal prescriptions.
- In some cases, non-prescription users might steal the
drug from family members or medical dispensaries.
- The cost for illicit purchase of the drug can range from 2
to 20 dollars for a 20 mg tablet.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
The non-medical use of Ritalin® may cause the following
stimulant-like symptoms:
•restlessness
•dizziness
•tremors
•euphoria
•severe headache
•difficulty coordinating musculoskeletal movements
-Ritalin ® May also cause: increased temperature,
irregular heartbeat, heart failure, hostility and feelings of
paranoia.
When taken at a higher dose than recommended, Ritalin ®
has a high potential for drug abuse and compulsive behavior.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Prevention of non-prescription Ritalin ® use can be
accomplished by the following:
1) medication supplies should be kept secure in a locked room,
drawer or cabinet;
2) adults should not allow adolescent patients to selfadminister ADHD/ADD medication without suitable adult
supervision;
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Prevention of non-prescription Ritalin ® use can be
accomplished by the following:
3) children should be prohibited from carrying ADHD/ADD
medication to or from school. A parent or guardian should
deliver and remove
the medication from school; and
4) ADHD/ADD medication should be provided in properly
labeled containers that identify the name of the medication,
the prescribed dosage and the frequency of administration.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Prevention of non-prescription Ritalin ® use can be
accomplished by the following:
5) For parents and guardians, an additional tip is to pay
attention to the amount of medication left over in
a prescription bottle. This is crucial to discovering patients who
sell their medication. For instance, a patient may leave home
with a full bottle of medication and return home with only a
small amount left.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Use without a prescription in Indiana is a
violation of Indiana Code IC 35-48-4-7
(possession of a controlled substance) and is a
Class D felony.
Illegal possession on a school bus or school
property is a Class C felony in Indiana.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center’s Survey on Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Other Drug Use by Indiana Children and
Adolescents; Data from 1996-2005.
http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/survey/atod/index.html
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
http://www.in.gov/cji/index.html
The National Institute on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov/
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Contact us
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
2735 East 10th Street, CA110
Bloomington, IN 47408-2602
Phone: 1-800-346-3077 or 812-855-1237
Fax: 812-855-4940
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.drugs.indiana.edu
Content in this presentation based, in part, on a Factline produced by Bilesha Perera, Ph.D, MS in 2005 and © The Indiana
Prevention Resource Center.
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center is funded, in part, by a contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration,
Division of Mental Health and Addiction, financially supported through HHS/Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration,
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. The IPRC is operated by the Indiana
University Department of Applied Health Science and School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. It is affiliated with the
Department's Institute of Drug Abuse Prevention. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the
Trustees of Indiana University or the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Indiana University accepts full responsibility for
the content of this publication. © Copyright, 2005 by the Trustees of Indiana University.
Indiana Prevention Resource Center