RISE IN ADHD DRUG PRESCRIPTION MEANS MORE FOR
SALE ON THE STREETS

While a fierce debate rages over the dramatic rise in prescriptions for "ADHD" with children as young as 4, another side to the whole drugging of children issue has been experienced by 25-year-old anti-drug campaigner Carly Crutchfield who speaks to youth on the streets and at dance parties and raves about the effects of drugs.

"Ritalin is the new 'poor man's cocaine' so to speak - we are hearing stories of kids who have been prescribed these drugs, selling them to their friends and crushing and snorting the powder. Ritalin and its generic sister Dexamphetamine are easy to get and are prescribed at the drop of a hat. Kids don't need to access illegal drugs to get high and sell it to their friends - they are doing it with 'legal' prescription drugs, which are in the same class as amphetamines and speed. There has been a 10x increase in prescriptions from 1993 to 2003, now reaching 250,000 prescriptions a year throughout Australia. Are we creating a drugged out, off their face future generation of Australians?" demands Ms Crutchfield.

One Australian reported, "its surprisingly easy to get Dexamphetamines by pretending you have ADD especially if someone who has been through the interview process coaches you with the right things to say."

Why would people cheat to get prescribed a 'ADHD drug'? To illustrate, in 2000, the U.S.Drug Enforcement Agency revealed the results of studies on both animals and humans who were given cocaine and Ritalin. The test subjects could not tell the difference. The Drug Enforcement Administration concluded that, “They produce effects that are nearly identical.” And the statistics show it is used in the street for the same reason all drugs are. 17 percent of serious young offenders currently use heroin, cocaine/crack, street methadone, and morphine as well as illicit use of dexamphetamines and benzodiazepines. And 7 percent of all 14 year olds have tried amphetamines or speed; this figure includes illicit use of Ritalin or dexamphetamines.
 
"There are so many tragedies that are hidden because of the idea that these drugs are a cure for a disease. The problem is, they are addressing symptoms and child behaviour that some people disagree with or have no other solution for. Time and time again we see stories on TV of solutions existing, but these don't get the government funding, like the drug subsidies do. There's no doubt ampetamines and speed-like substances help you focus. Ask anyone who has taken speed at a rave party," says Cyrus Brooks, Public Officer of the Drug Free Ambassadors, an anti-drug educational charity started by the Church of Scientology.
 
"Courtney Love, widow of rock legend Kurt Cobain told media they were both prescribed Ritalin when young and also said, “When you’re a kid and you get this drug that makes you feel that [euphoric] feeling, where else are you going to turn when you’re an adult?” says Ms Crutchfield. "Now adults are turning up at the doctor saying they are disorganised, forget things and are distracted and are able in 5-10 minutes to get a legal prescription for an amphethamine to make them 'feel better'. How does that make sense, when if they did that on the street or at a rave, they would be criminally charged for using and drugs. The difference is who is making the profit from the drug sale."

Then there is the story of Matthew, a teenager who died suddenly in March 2000. Medical examiners found that the youth’s heart was 14% larger than a full grown man's heart and although he had no history of heart problems, the autopsy revealed clear signs of small vessel damage. His death certificate reads: “Death caused from Long-Term Use of methylphenidate (Ritalin).”
 
Parents are encouraged to log on to www.drugsalvage.com.au and www.myspace.com/drugsalvage and share your stories. Download the booklet, "Kiddie cocaine" and get the facts. The Drug Free Ambassadors group is currently engaged in a campaign to get a million booklets out to warn youth of the real dangers of drugs, as shown in their Truth About Drugs campaign, with a series of 10 booklets covering the major drugs being used.

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