Editing Methylphenidate (section)

=== Controversy ===
{{Further|Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder controversies#Stimulants}}
Methylphenidate has been the subject of controversy in relation to its use in the treatment of ADHD. The prescription of psychostimulant medication to children to reduce ADHD symptoms has been a major point of criticism.<ref name="pmid17949504">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lakhan SE, Hagger-Johnson GE | date = October 2007 | title = The impact of prescribed psychotropics on youth | journal = Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health | volume = 3 | issue = 1 | page = 21 | pmid = 17949504 | pmc = 2100041 | doi = 10.1186/1745-0179-3-21 | doi-access = free }}</ref>{{request quotation | date=June 2015}} The contention that methylphenidate acts as a [[gateway drug]] has been discredited by multiple sources,<ref name="nih.gov-nida-29.htm">{{cite news |title = New research helps explain ritalin's low abuse potential when taken as prescribed |date = 29 September 1998 |website = NIH.gov |url = http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sept98/nida-29.htm |access-date = 30 April 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100528060023/http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sept98/nida-29.htm |archive-date=28 May 2010}}</ref> according to which abuse is statistically very low and "stimulant therapy in childhood does not increase the risk for subsequent drug and alcohol abuse disorders later in life".<ref name="drugabuse.gov-ADHDFacts">{{cite web | title = Stimulant ADHD medications: Methylphenidate and amphetamines |series = NIDA InfoFacts |website = Drugabuse.gov | url = http://www.drugabuse.gov/InfoFacts/ADHD.html | access-date = 30 April 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100326223023/http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/ADHD.html | archive-date=26 March 2010}}</ref> A study found that ADHD medication was not associated with an increased risk of cigarette use, and in fact, stimulant treatments such as Ritalin seemed to lower this risk.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Schoenfelder EN, Faraone SV, Kollins SH | date = June 2014 | title = Stimulant treatment of ADHD and cigarette smoking: A meta-analysis | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 133 | issue = 6 | pages = 1070–1080 | pmid = 24819571 | pmc = 4531271 | doi = 10.1542/peds.2014-0179 }}</ref> People treated with stimulants such as methylphenidate during childhood were less likely to have [[substance use disorder]]s in adulthood.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wilens TE, Faraone SV, Biederman J, Gunawardene S | title = Does stimulant therapy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder beget later substance abuse? A meta-analytic review of the literature | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 111 | issue = 1 | pages = 179–185 | date = January 2003 | pmid = 12509574 | doi = 10.1542/peds.111.1.179 | s2cid = 29956425 }}</ref>

Among countries with the highest rates of use of methylphenidate medication is Iceland,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Karlstad Ø, Zoëga H, Furu K, Bahmanyar S, Martikainen JE, Kieler H, Pottegård A | title = Use of drugs for ADHD among adults-a multinational study among 15.8 million adults in the Nordic countries | journal = European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology | volume = 72 | issue = 12 | pages = 1507–1514 | date = December 2016 | pmid = 27586399 | pmc = 5110707 | doi = 10.1007/s00228-016-2125-y }}</ref> where research shows that the drug was the most commonly used substance among [[drug injection|people who inject drugs]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bjarnadottir GD, Haraldsson HM, Rafnar BO, Sigurdsson E, Steingrimsson S, Johannsson M, Bragadottir H, Magnusson A | title = Prevalent intravenous abuse of methylphenidate among treatment-seeking patients with substance abuse disorders: a descriptive population-based study | journal = Journal of Addiction Medicine | volume = 9 | issue = 3 | pages = 188–194 | date = 29 November 2016 | pmid = 25748561 | pmc = 4450903 | doi = 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000115 }}</ref> The study involved 108 people who inject drugs and 88% of them had injected methylphenidate within the last 30 days and for 63% of them, methylphenidate was the most preferred substance.

Treatment of ADHD by way of methylphenidate has led to legal actions, including [[malpractice]] suits regarding [[informed consent]], inadequate information on side effects, misdiagnosis, and coercive use of medications by [[State school|school systems]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ouellette EM | title = Legal issues in the treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | journal = Journal of Child Neurology | volume = 6 | issue = Suppl | pages = S68–S75 | year = 1991 | pmid = 2002217 | doi = 10.1177/0883073891006001S08 | s2cid = 1773939 }}</ref>