negative effects of Ritalin and What do you think the punishment should be for students who sell the
Part One:
What are the possible negative effects of Ritalin use for someone who does not need it for ADD or ADHD?
More information on this topic can be found at the following links, which should be used to inform your answer:
Dramatic rise in ADHD medication mishaps among kids, report finds
https://www.foxnews.com/health/ritalin-may-pose-brain-risks-for-young-people-without-adhd-study-shows
Part Two: What do you think the punishment should be for students who sell their Ritalin to others? Explain your answer, making sure to support your opinion with facts.
DO 1 PAGE FOR EACH
ANSWER
Negative Effects of Ritalin for people without ADD
Ritalin is the brand name used for methylphenidate, which is a system stimulant drug used to treat patients with ADHD. However, the drug is being abused by college students who believe the drug will help them remain alert and concentrate on their studies. The drug is referred to as the “smart” drug. Drugs such as Ritalin increase a person’s attention span, memory and ability to stay alert. This has led to the drug being increasingly abused. Studies show that 1.3 million teenagers have abused the drug without prescription (Woerner, 2014). However, research shows that the drug might have some hidden side effects for those misdiagnosed with ADHD and those misusing the drug (Woerner, 2014). The misuse of Ritalin makes a person feel more awake at first, but this leads to the person getting very tired later.
The physical effects of abusing Ritalin include feeling dizzy or having a headache, trouble sleeping, no appetite, nausea or vomiting, fast and irregular heartbeat and feeling nervous and shaky. If abused in high doses, one might feel agitated or confused, one might also get paranoid that is believing people are plotting against them, dry mouth and vomiting, dilated pupils, increased heart rate and fever and sweating. Extremely high doses of Ritalin in normal people can eventually lead to seizures and serious heart rhythm changes (Woerner, 2014). One might even end up in a coma. The drug is also addictive as one might need to take more portions of the drug to get a similar feeling due to drug tolerance. Scientists believe that young people who abuse the drug are at the risk of developing rigid behaviour and having problems with their short term memory. The drug might provide temporal solutions to concentration problems in school, but it has harmful effects that might affect a person later in life.
Punishment for those Selling Ritalin
Sentences for drug distribution range from 3 to 5 years (Patterson, 2022). This is the punishment that should be handed to students who sell their Ritalin to other students on campus. This might seem harsh, but the reality of selling Ritalin to others in school is that it could lead to harming their futures. College students are at the threshold of adulthood, and they should think more about their decisions. A student selling and distributing drugs to others is viewed as a criminal and a felon and should be treated as such. They should receive the punishment and go to prison for using the drug supposed to help them with their condition to mess with the future of their fellow students. Ritalin is not dangerous and might not warrant the maximum distribution and trafficking sentence, but students who sell the drug should receive a form of punishment.
Before getting punished, there should be an investigation into the reason behind selling the drugs. Some of the students might sell their Ritalin because they do not have some amenities or fulfil their basic needs. This does not excuse the behaviour, but it could help reduce the selling of the drug. However, some sell out of malice, and those should be punished. The students who buy should also be educated on the drug’s harmful effects and the importance of not taking shortcuts. College and high school students are young and can therefore be educated not to sell drugs. The repeat offenders should receive jail time.
References
Patterson, E. (2022). Penalties and sentencing for drug abuse, selling and smuggling in the USA. https://drugabuse.com/addiction/drug-abuse/penalties/
Woerner, A. (2014). Ritalin may pose brain risks for young people without ADHD, study shows. https://www.foxnews.com/health/ritalin-may-pose-brain-risks-for-young-people-without-adhd-study-shows
