Do Prescription Drugs for Children Lead to Drug Abuse?

Drugs are drugs, sometimes the dealer is more educated, has a nice office, and wears a white coat.

I used speed and coke as a youth and didn't realize I was self medicating. Small amounts calmed me. I use high doses of caffeine now but it doe numbers on your stomach. I don't like them feeding kids speed..it screws with their sleep and diet. I am not sure they can ever get off speed as an adult either...tough call.

my next door neighbor has a child who is...i couldnt imagine much older than 5 or 6 years old...he is on Ritalin and some other meds...who knows if this will disfigure his adolescent years into drug usage..

ADHD is a tough call. I think most children have extra energy and don't focus and shouldn't take anything, but I have it still as an adult and it is troublesome. Pot works great for me...I haven't been using in a while and don't suggest it for kids. Minimal drug use for kids is the best!

I agree with all of the above as well. Why are teachers and parents so quick to buy into prescription drugs for kids???? Back in the day, if a kid was hyper, they`d say he needed to go outside and play more, not that he had a disease and should be medicated! I think parents should stand their ground when it comes to teachers and doctors... it`s time to take the natural route.. PARENTS, spend some freakin time with your kids, get them outside in the sun, feed them healthier food.... love them. That`s what we should be worried about!

I am a firm believer that prescription drugs at a young age are wrong. My baby brother is 10 years old and is highly medicated due to ADHD. I think that avoiding prescription drug use as long as possible is not only healthy physically but mentally.

I was sick throughout most of my childhood, and was always taking different medications. My parents were clear with me why I was taking what I was taking. Medicine was never magical to me, it was an annoying fact of my life. It never occured to me that someone would want to take medicine recreationally, not even after I was on Vicadin for my wisdom teeth removal. Though I did see how people could become obsessive about their meds. "If I start taking two pills a day instead of three, I could be on the pills for two more days!"

I agree with SHAWN_RITTIMAN!

my niece has some form of ADHD and she is on more meds than i think she should be..

I do believe that children are conditioned to trust that pills are a magic cure. I even think adults should avoid taking aspirin in front of kids. The less pills they see the less likely they are prone to unnecessary consumption!