INDISCRIMINATE USE OF RITALIN TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Methylphenidate, the active ingredient of Ritalin, is a psychostimulant drug used in the pharmacotherapy of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, even though it is a drug for controlled use, which has several side effects, whose prolonged use can lead the user to dependence and which can only be acquired with a medical prescription, Ritalin is freely marketed, illegally, leading to the use indiscriminately by students who believe that it “turbines the brain”. In this context, the present work intends to analyze the indiscriminate use of Ritalin to improve academic performance.