Yet Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat MP, has concerns. He points to the rapid and recent rise in the drug's use. In the past year, prescriptions have jumped by 22 per cent. He is concerned that little is known about the symptoms and consequences of the attention deficit disorders that it is prescribed for. He fears that Ritalin has become a first choice rather than a last resort.
One telling point comes in the official advice that children "should be taken off the drug whenever possible, for example on weekends and during holidays". This rather suggests that the reasons for prescribing it have little to do with the quality of life of the young person and more to do with management in classrooms. Do young people have the right to enjoy their leisure time? If the drug is too risky to let them use it to improve their concentration and reduce hyperactive impulses in their own time, why is it okay to do so during school hours?
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