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LONDON, Jan 15, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- There has been a sharp increase in children in Britain being treated with the drug Ritalin for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Five percent of children in England and Wales have been officially diagnosed with ADHD, according to health ministers. Government figures showed that at least 345,000 children in England and Wales ages six to 16 officially suffer from ADHD, while 329,000 prescriptions were written for drugs combating childhood hyperactivity, compared with 271,000 the year before.
Health ministers said "it was becoming increasingly common for pediatricians" to diagnose ADHD and to prescribe Ritalin. However, some warn that Ritalin may appear as "a wonder drug" that could cure disruptive behavior in all youngsters, reported the Independent Saturday.
"Ritalin is regarded as a magic bullet by some parents. It is becoming so widespread that I have had parents in my surgery who regard it as a wonder drug, complaining that doctors are refusing to prescribe it to their children," said Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley, a former pharmacist.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
