By Maia Szalavitz, Senior Fellow, STATS
Watch for widespread panic over a new press release from the National Institute on Drug Abuse finding that Ritalin has similar effects to cocaine in the brains of mice, excerpted here. The fear raised by this finding is that giving children Ritalin could increase their later risk of addiction by causing changes to the brain similar to those seen in cocaine addiction.
Commenting in the release, NIDA director Nora Volkow said,
Studies to date suggest that prescribed use of methylphenidate in patients with ADHD does not increase their risk for subsequent addiction…This study highlights the fact that we know very little about how methylphenidate affects the structure of and communication between brain cells.”
That’s all true; however, even if mice had exactly the same brain changes as humans, this study would not prove that Ritalin as used in treatment causes the same changes as recreational cocaine use. That’s because most children take Ritalin orally—and the mice were injected with it.
A great deal of research shows that route of administration is critically important in the development of addiction: drugs that reach the brain quickly like injectables are far more addictive than those taken orally.
It’s true that the cocaine in the study was also injected—but it’s also the case that injecting cocaine is far more likely to produce addiction than snorting or eating it is. Similarly, smoking crack is more addictive than snorting powder, because smoking gets the drug to the brain about as fast as injecting, some claim faster.
If your child is injecting his Ritalin, this study might give you reason for concern—but if your child is shooting anything, you don’t need a study to tell you to worry!
The Senior Fellow from STATS obviously didn’t attend any USA University recently. I can assure you that the drug Ritlin and Adderall are very cocaine-like and are abused in a very cocaine-like fashion. And often. Abuse of this drug is nearly identical to abuse of cocaine. That says volumes.
STATs discussion here on ritalin/cocaine is severely hampered by heavy use of the non-scientific term “addiction”.
There NO commonly accepted scientific definition of “addiction”.
There has never been any scientific demonstration of so-called ‘chemical dependency’ for any substance in humans or animals. Alleged “addictive disorders” are known ONLY by the observed behaviors they describe… not by any objective chemical or physical processes (disease models) ‘causing’ involuntary demand for more of the supposed ‘addictive’ substances.
Humans display all manner of subjectively ‘bad’ and ‘compulsive’ behaviors… over-eating, gambling, sex, alcohol, shopping, drugs, dangerous sports, etc. They are merely ‘bad habits’ — voluntary behaviors that could be changed by choice. Calling some bad habits “addictions” is not science, and greatly obscures factual reality.
If STATs mission is to “…improve the quality of scientific and statistical information in public discourse”, request you use more care with the terms ‘addiction/addictive’.
Matt,
I don’t know which University you went to, but very few people at my University used Ritalin or Adderall. Most of my classmates got by with Red Bull and coffee during finals week. Your anecdote is not enough to convince me.
Also, I have used Adderall in the past for a few months (for a legitimate medical reason), and I didn’t abuse it or become addicted to it. I’ve never used cocaine, so I can’t compare, but I certainly didn’t get a ‘high’ from it.
I see a problem when people get this type of information, then decide they know more than the doctors, who care for people with ADD and ADHD. I have seen it work wonders in people, who are not abusing it, but truly need it!
I, then, wonder, who is, truly, responsible for the “abuse” of these drugs. It is certainly is not the intentional over-prescription by physicians, (not worth losing their jobs over!) But, more likely the diversion of the medication, by criminals and drug dealers (and even regular guys) getting rich, or at least making a profit, from the subterfuge. It is a problem that has not been solved by decades of a war on drugs. Come on guys, you have had enough time to do it. Why isn’t it working?