Persuasive Speech Slides

SO MUCH

TO DO!

• Over-diagnosis getting out of control

• 15% of high school students in U.S. diagnosed with ADHD

• 3.5 million take one of the meds marketed to treat it

• Prescriptions nearly tripled for adults aged 20 – 39 between 2007 and 2012

• Drug companies are starting to focus on adults because they provide a potentially larger market

• Rate of diagnosis increased by an average of 5% per year from 2003 to 2011

• Dangerous potential side effects include psychosis, suicidal thoughts and hallucinations, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite

• Can lead to addiction

• In same class as morphine and oxycodone

• Raise dopamine levels in the brain causing euphoric feeling

• Create a “high” that makes people want more

• Similar to cocaine and other street drugs

Pharmaceutical companies benefit from the sale of medications used to

treat ADHD

Sales have exceeded $8 BILLION

Ads on television and in popular magazines including People and Good Housekeeping use common childhood forgetfulness and poor grades as grounds for medication that can result in “schoolwork that matches his intelligence” as well as ease family tension.

The Food and Drug Administration has cited every major ADHD stimulant drug including

• Adderall• Concerta• Focalin• Vyvanse

And non-stimulants including

• Intunive• Strattera

For false and misleading advertising since 2000

Some have been cited multiple times

• Reinforces accuracy of diagnosis

• Reduces chances of diagnosis being influenced by drug company pay-offs

• Helps to ensure symptoms are not simply poorly or un-managed stress

• Educate yourself about your diagnosis

• Several options for alternate therapies are available

• Simple lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms (exercise, getting enough sleep)

• When used properly, alternate therapies have the potential to eliminate the need for prescription medications completely

WORK CITED

"ADHD and Substance Abuse: Alcohol and Drugs Connected to ADHD."WebMD. WebMD, 03 May 0000. Web. 19 July 2014.

"Adult ADD / ADHD." : Signs, Symptoms, Effects, and Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

"An Epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 July 2014.

"Data & Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 July 2014.

"Drug Companies and Doctors Boost Profits Pitching Attention Deficit Disorder."AllGov. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

Schwarz, Alan. "Report Says Medication Use Is Rising for Adults With Attention Disorder." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 July 2014.

Schwarz, Alan. "The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 July 2014.