Children as young as two are increasingly being prescribed powerful stimulant drugs like Ritalin for “ADHD.” 2,406 Australian children younger than six are on these drugs (1,007 of those in NSW).

Australia’s Draft ADHD Guidelines have been halted because of a US Congressional investigation into psychiatrist Joseph Biederman from Harvard University, who received $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug companies, but reportedly failed to disclose all of this income to the University. His studies were cited more than 50 times in the draft Australian Guidelines.

The federal government has classed Methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta) and dexamphetamine in the same category as cocaine morphine and opium. The non stimulant ADHD drug Strattera has a boxed warning (strongest warning in Australia) to warn of the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours in children.

View the “Rising Rate of ADHD drugs for kids like Ritalin” article.

Read the “Troubling trend of child drug reliance” editorial.

To view the 2008–2010 statistics from the Department of Health and Ageing regarding the increasing numbers of children on ADHD drugs by age, click here.

To view the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Medicine Summaries which show the total numbers of deaths and other side-effects linked to ADHD drugs click on the below links:

• Total Side Effects for all the ADHD drugs below
• Ritalin Side Effects
• Concerta Side Effects
• Strattera Side Effects
• Dexamphetamine Side Effects
• Methylphenidate Side Effects
• Attenta Side Effects

Read the TGA’s “Explanation of Medicine Summaries”