British Doctors Illegally Prescribe ADHD Drugs to Children as Young as Four

'The overall rise in the number of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs being dispensed to children has been a major cause of concern among some medical groups, particularly as such drugs are now being prescribed to children under the age of six. In the UK, National Health Service (NHS) guidelines restrict the prescription of ADHD drugs to children under age six, but a recent report in the UK Guardian says that some doctors are unlawfully prescribing the drugs to children as young as four years old. Researchers from the Centre for Paediatric and Pharmacy Research compiled data showing that prescription rates for ADHD drugs like Ritalin are highest among the age six to 12 category, which is the youngest age category for which they can legally be prescribed. And between 2004 and 2008, prescription rates doubled in this category, jumping to eight out of every 1,000 children....Read more: