Ritalin

If I were Ann, I would completely disagree with the commercial. For her daughter, Ritalin did exactly what it was created to do: help those with ADD to focus so they are capable of living their lives as normal as possible. Ann’s daughter benefited greatly from the drug and as a result was able to excel in both school and sports.

As for Barbara, she would most likely agree with the commercial and its message. Barbara’s son too has ADD and was prescribed Ritalin to help with her symptoms. Although, in his case, his continued use of the prescription drug did not lead to any improvement in his behavior and led him to a cocaine addiction.

Chloe’s daughter did not suffer from ADD, but turned to Ritalin and cocaine during her parents divorce. Therefore, she would also most likely agree with the message of the commercial.

According the drugfreeworld.org, in recent years Ritalin has been classified by the DEA as a Schedule II narcotic, which also is home to drugs including cocaine, morphine, and amphetamines. It is often abused by teens to get high, can lead to harder drugs, such as cocaine, and has severe side effects including insomnia, anorexia, and heart problems.

While Ann would most likely disagree with the commercial, Barbara and Chloe would most likely agree with it. They have seen the bad side of Ritalin and how it can ruin the lives of those who are either prescribed to it or become addicted to it because of its stimulant effects.

In my opinion, Ritalin should not be used to treat ADD, as there are most likely other safer drugs that cannot be harmful to its users or others who use it for recreational purposes.