The drugs include stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamines (Dexedrine and Adderall). “While these medications benefit many children, they have a great potential for abuse, and stringent controls have been placed on their manufacture, distribution and prescription,” says Laura M. Nagel, a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official. “Adolescents don’t have to rob a pharmacy, forge a prescription or visit the local drug dealer to acquire these drugs – they have little difficulty obtaining them from friends or classmates at school.”

Taken as directed, such drugs can safely calm hyperactive children and help others overcome poor concentration. But middle and high school students can misuse them – often in high doses – to get high, stay awake, lose weight or enhance the effects of alcohol or other drugs. High doses can cause agitation, euphoria, tremors, rapid heart beat and even psychotic episodes, the DEA says.

While the extent of the problem is uncertain, studies offer clues:

• Nearly 7 percent of high school students reported using methylphenidate illicitly at least once, according to an Indiana University survey of 44,232 high school students. The survey found that 2.5 percent of the students used the drug once a month or more.
• A third of the students being treated for ADHD said they had been approached to sell or trade the drugs, according to University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire researchers. More than half the students who weren’t taking the drugs knew of ADHD patients who were giving away or selling them, according to a poll of 650 students ages 11 to 18 published in Psychology in the Schools.

The number of prescriptions for methylphenidate more than tripled from 1991 to 2000, reaching about 11 million a year. The DEA says it has heard of a single tablet fetching up to $20 in some areas.

Because schools handle students’ ADHD medication, the DEA makes the following suggestions for schools. However, if parents have concerns, they may wish to support their school officials in implementing policies that protect children from potential dangers.

To ensure safety, the DEA suggests that schools:

• Consider barring students from carrying ADHD drugs to or from school. Adults should bring in the medication.
• Be given ADHD drugs in properly labeled containers that include dosage instructions.
• Have one person (preferably a nurse) control the medication supply with an inventory log.
• Consider not letting students self-administer ADHD drugs outside the school staff’s presence.
• Secure the drug supply in a locked room, drawer or cabinet.
• Destroy unused medication not removed from the school by a parent or other adult.