ADHD is the number-one disorder among children. Drug prescription for ADHD has also reached epidemic proportions. Drug prescription for ADHD has increased exponentially. Prescriptions of Ritalin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, prompting fears it is being pushed on children at the expense of alternative treatments and without appreciation of long-term effects.

The pharmaceutical industry plays a negative role in this. The diagnosis ADHD is in the industry's interest, in terms of driving up sales of medicines such as Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet and Equasym. 'An information flow is therefore created in which ADHD is categorized as a neurobiological brain disorder', says Batstra, researcher and lecturer at the University of Groningen, who believes that the industry plainly promotes the disorder. 'It goes much too far. The industry has tentacles everywhere. Pharmacists sponsor parents' groups, produce websites about ADHD and 'lionize' doctors who prescribe the medicines. The companies spend twice as much on marketing a product than they do on developing it.

Read the full articles 'ADHD is not an illness' by Dr. L. Batstra from University of Groningen and 'Ritalin use for ADHD children soars fourfold' by J. Doward on The Guardian.