Thanks for this. Abuse of Ritalin and Adderall has been common knowledge for years ("swallow it to study; snort it to party"). However, Strattera and Concerta, I believe, have both been sold as effective ADHD treatments that are NOT "speed" and thus not subject to abuse. Strattera, I think, began life as an antidepressant that did not pan out too well in clinical trials. I've recently been prescribed Strattera for intractable depression with intractable fatigue... in response to my ever-increasing problems using Adderall for the same. The samples are still sitting on my kitchen counter. I think they will sit a wee bit longer.

What happened to the good old days when kids used to simply steal their parents' booze? (I'm kidding.)

Sort of. ;)

Concerta is Ritalin...extended release...

friend of mine son was expelled for selling adderall and ritalin and that was about 5-6 years ago. it happens in junior high and by high school it's full blown parking lot drug deals with booze. kids come to class wasted. and that my friends is in high end suburbs. they've got high end allowances, psychiatric appointments and cars better than the ones teachers drive. (this is all my personal experience)

Interesting post! Why does the first thing that comes to mind is that this is just a sign of the times. I remember when we just used to smoke pot and drink booze - not trade prescription meds. I have one question - where does it go from here?

Well Scott, once you get labeled adhd and then get caught smoking pot and drinking booze, which as you say used to be considered normal teen behavior, you get labeled dual diagnosis bipolar/addict and thus spend the rest of your life forbidden to take the drugs you enjoy and forced to take more harmful ones .

That kid who traded booze for Strattera? He got ripped off. Strattera is in no way buzzworthy.

I could immagine a person could get very sick from taking more and more strattera in an attempt to get a buzz because it doesn't give a buzz...you'd just end up ODing on the stuff. But the concerta, I guess if you just crush it up that defeats the time release and then wham-oh you've got prescription cocaine. It does the same exact thing in the brain as cocaine does -I'm serious, check it out- (concerta is just time release ritalin right?), the only difference is that you need to take more milligram for milligram of the stuff to get a buzz than you do of cocaine.
Studies have shown that animlas (chimps actually) can't tell the difference between IV cocaine and ritalin and will choose either as a replacement for the other. I think the same is probably true for humans, so if you can't tell the difference, the drugs both can give the same high, why is one legal and pushed so heavily on children to make them more focused and productive and the other is taught to be evil and avoided? It seems so arbitrary to me sometimes, it seems as if it's all based upon what drugs can be patented and what can't.
I bet if we switched out the worlds supply of ritalin with cocain in pill form, adjusted to be the same potency, no one would know the difference.

too bad the teens of this generation are dealing drugs such as Seroquel and shit; when they could have longer lives doing shrooms, weed and booze.but what do i know?

Dear Philip:

Most of the time I post serious and fairly reflective comments here on your blog with a strident sense of responsibility, virtuous meaning, and noble intent; this is not going to be one of those times fortunately or unfortunately.
Kids will be kids dag nab it; I think I can almost remember way back when I was one of those know it all, nothing can hurt me mutants of immature age and standing.

Am I surprised some Kids would trade their Meds for booze? I’m not surprised in the least bit to be quite honest. Go arrest the doctor that prescribed those medications in the first place. If the kids prefers alcohol to the stimulants they have been given, just maybe something in this blurry nonsensical picture doesn’t smell all that right to begin with?

Now I have a huge Box full of almost every unused psychotropic medication known to mankind. I have been holding onto them as kind of emotional keep sake for sentimental reasons. But I think it's time for me to move on from those frivolous fancies and trade them in for something more useful ( I can’t flush them down the toilet, who knows what could happen to our already tainted drinking water supply. I hope this draws interest from a few environmental conscious readers {snicker}).

So if anyone would like a huge box full of medications in trade for a negotiated amount of McCallum 12 year old single malt Scotch.

HUGE NOTE AND DISCLAIMER:

Now, I know it’s illegal to traffic in dangerous drugs of these types. So I have to state clearly that this comment was for entertainment purposes only with no real intent or behavior related to the trafficking or selling of fore mentioned drugs; but if real bottles of preferred Scotch did happen magically to show up at my door step and my un-used and pristine medications were supposedly taken/abducted by the CIA genetically altered penguins to the all Mighty Mother ship. I would feel great empathy, and would have to give those precious and lonely bottles a loving new home {laughing}.

Yours truly
Stan

PS Please Drink Responsibly and use a designated bipolar driver to get everyone home safely.

I'd like to add that this is nothing new. I was raiding my mother's Elavil prescription in 1978. I was 12.

Stan,

Thanks for this. It's too funny. And for validating my long standing suspicion that those genetically altered penguins have government connections;).

Dexedrine is my favorite amphetamine/stimulant. Dexedrine gets me really high and euphoric. The rebound crash is really bad, though. Dexedrine is way better than Adderall or Concerta. Dexedrine has a much better high and euphoric feeling. The crash and rebound when it wears off is more intense, too. Dexedrine is just a really fun ADD drug. No other ADD stimulant compares to Dexedrine. The euphoria on Dexedrine is awesome, the rebound crash is very intense, though. I would either get anxious and paranoid, depressed and emotional or extremely tired but unable to sleep whenever my Dexedrine would wear off. Then a few hours later I was back to my pre- Dexedrine mood. If there is one stimulant that you should use it's Dexedrine. Dexedrine blows Concerta and Adderall way out of the water. Regular Dexedrine has much more eophoria than the Dexedrine time release, but the crash is way more intense. Dexedrine is a fun and crazy stimulant.