
This research question has really sparked my interest because the advantages of these medications are definitely present but they also have serious disadvantages. Some doctors hand these prescriptions out like candy. Some are strict, but teenagers still find ways to get their hands on these medications. This research question affects me because I am actually prescribed this medication and I went through multiple tests to get prescribed but I know people who have gotten these drugs without any tests or prescriptions. This can be a big issue because people do not realize the risk they are putting themselves in. They can be very addictive if misused and in a lot of cases the disadvantages experienced are not worth the advantage it gives you. I have personal experience regarding this topic. A family friend was using these medications when they were not prescribed and it led to addiction and ending up in the hospital. This could happen to anybody who is not supposed to be taking these drugs. Some of the disadvantages consist of: loss of appetite, irritability, nausea/vomiting, and trouble sleeping. I feel that I am qualified to write about this because I am prescribed to ADHD medication and I personally feel for myself the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages.


This article claims that ADHD medications are over-prescribed because of the money it makes to prescribe them. This can be very dangerous.  Major evidence of this is "The U.S. has the unfortunate distinction of being the world's leader when it comes to child drugging -- the top nation fueling the $7.2 billion-a-year ADHD drug industry." The major stakeholders in this article are people who use these medications that do not actually need them. This can become a problem because it may be harder for someone who actually needs the medications to get prescribed if people who should not have them are abusing these drugs. This source is credible because the CCHR International organization is a non-profit organization that helps regulate laws on drugs. They have helped enact 150 laws protecting individuals from abusive drugs. This author wants the prescription of ADD/ADHD medication to become stricter. 


This article states the facts about the medication such as the ingredients in them and the side effects. The ingredients in these medications are very powerful and have been proven to be addictive and have major side effects and disadvantages.  The stakeholders in this article would be people who use these medications because they each have different ingredients in them and some may give people different reactions.  Also it could affect people who use it that shouldn't be using it because they can harm themselves by not knowing which one to take. This is a credible source because the author Stephanie Watson had her information medically reviewed by a RPH (registered pharmacist). The author thinks these medications are over prescribed and should be more regulated. She states that the more serious side effects are heart problems, psychotic problems, reduced growth in children, seizures, and tics.


This article goes over the pros and cons of taking these drugs. The pros consist of people having a longer attention span and not getting off track constantly. The cons are, they are addictive, they make you lose you appetite, and lose sleep. They took a survey of people who use these medications to see what percentage of people experience certain side effects. The stakeholders for this article are people who take ADHD medicine. These are all of the possible positives and negatives that could come from using these medications. It depends on the person for if the cons outweigh the pros or not. They use the Consumer Reports National Research Center for their survey on disadvantages of the use of ADD/ADHD medications. It definitely persuades the reader that there are multiple disadvantages to taking ADD/ADHD medications by taking a survey of all the side effects people have and very few people responded that they had no side effects at all.

This research question is arguable because some people do not experience any side effects from taking ADHD medication and some do. The people who do experience side effects may have major or minor side effects just depending on the person. So if the disadvantages of the medication outweigh the advantages is it worth taking the medication? Some agreements are that people think they should be more regulated and that they have some major side effects. A disagreement is some people think they give an unfair advantage. Others actually need these medications to pay attention. I might add another part to my research question that says, "Should ADD/ADHD medications be more regulated in the U.S.? And how could we make them more regulated?"
