Title: ADHD and Drug Abuse
Producer: Emily Halevy
Feed: CWKN #379, April 2, 2008
Time: 1:39
SUGGESTED LEAD:  AS MORE AND MORE CHILDREN ARE DIAGNOSED WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, MILLIONS OF PARENTS MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO PUT THEIR KIDS ON MEDICATION.  BUT MANY WORRY: WILL TAKING DRUGS TODAY CAUSE KIDS TO ABUSE DRUGS LATER IN LIFE? THAT STORY IN TONIGHT’S CONNECT WITH KIDS.
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SOT: Gina Hagin, Graysen’s Mother (:00)
“When you hear the word ADHD you’re instantly alarmed.”

NARR: WHEN NINE-YEAR-OLD GRAYSEN HAGIN FIRST STARTING TAKING RITALIN, HIS MOM WAS WORRIED. (:04)

SUPER: Gina Hagin, Greysen’s Mother (:11)
“Just the thought of putting your child on a narcotic for an extensive period of time is very scary.”

NARR: IN FACT IT’S A STIMULANT … BUT STARTING KIDS ON IT AT EARLY AGE IS SCARY FOR PARENTS… FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. (:07)

SUPER: Elaine Mateo, M.D., Psychiatrist (:24)
“They range from growth type of things, you know…stunted growth, which really is not the case, to things like-ah- whether this would lead to drug abuse and dependence.” 

NARR: DOES IT LEAD TO LATER DRUG ABUSE?

DOCTORS AT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL TRACKED OVER 100 A-D-H-D PATIENTS FOR 10 YEARS.

THEY FOUND THAT THE USE OF ADHD MEDICINE HAS NO IMPACT ON FUTURE SUBSTANCE ABUSE.  (:14)

SUPER: William Buchanan, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist  (:52)
“In other words, they’re no more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than someone who doesn’t have ADD.”

NARR: BUT EXPERTS CAUTION- IF A CHILD ALREADY HAS A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM-  (:05)

SOT: Elaine Mateo, M.D., Psychiatrist (1:03)
“We don’t want to make something more available to them that they can misuse.  But taking the medication itself is not going to lead to a dependence.”

NARR:  BEFORE RITALIN, GRAYSON COULDN’T CONCENTRATE AND HIS GRADES WERE TERRIBLE. (:05)

SUPER: Graysen Hagin, 9 years old (1:18)
“It was sometimes frustrating and I’d just want to cry.”

NARR: BUT TODAY, HE’S AN “A” STUDENT AND A HAPPIER BOY. (:04)

SOT: Gina Hagin, Greysen’s Mother (1:28)
“To see in your child’s eyes a yearning and a sadness and then to go from that to see your child productive and happy.  You can’t replace that.”

NARR: I’M COLLIN SIEDOR FOR CONNECT WITH KIDS. (:03)

SUGGESTED TAG:      EXPERTS SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS- EVEN AT AN EARLY AGE- ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THEIR MEDICINE IS FOR AND HOW IT SHOULD BE USED. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC, LOG ONTO <LOCAL URL> AND CLICK ON THE CONNECT WITH KIDS ICON.