August 31, 2009
Judge Tom
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Teens misuse of ADHD prescription drugs soar

Misinformation about FDA-approved, prescription drugs is leading to abuse of attention-deficit medications. Kids are taking ADHD drugs to get high or increase alertness with little regard to serious or life threatening effects.

Between 1998 and 2005, calls by parents, emergency room doctors and others to poison control centers regarding teen abuse of ADHD drugs rose 76%. During that period, four deaths were reported according to the medical journal Pediatrics (August, 2009).

Photo by _anet (Flickr)

As you know most schools have zero-tolerance policies regarding drugs on campus. Prescription drugs must be administered by the school nurse and not kept in backpacks or lockers. Depending on the medication and quantity, possession and distribution at school has led to consequences including suspension or expulsion, and criminal charges.

For more about zero-tolerance policies at school, see: http://askthejudge.info/has-zero-tolerance-at-school-gone-too-far/237/

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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