Adderall & ethics: our use of amphetamines
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
[Amphetamines are prescribed to children and adults every year to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and narcolepsy. Interestingly, attention disorders occupy an area of medical science that has fallen under much skepticism and criticism since the early 1970s. Specifically, speculation has been directed at the nature of attention disorders and their legitimacy as pathological conditions. For example, arguments made in the early 2000s question the validity of the diagnosis of attention disorders, especially with respect to prescription psyschostimulants. In recent years, there has also been an alarming increase in amphetamine abuse in academic contexts – students have begun to abuse attention disorder medications to increase their focus for extended, unnatural periods of time. Both the prescription of these drugs to children and their abuse in academics is troublesome, and we should address the science and ethics behind these contemporary sources of controversy that relate to our modern medical and academic cultures.]