A new study of medication use by students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the Maryland public schools found that white students were given Ritalin and other ADHD drugs at a far higher rate than their minority peers. The disparity in medication use increased as the students grew older, the study found. | |||||
Ritalin Users by Race and Ethnicity |
Race/Ethnicity Proportions in School Enrollment | ||||
Elementary | Middle | High | Total | ||
White | 73.11% | 79.83% | 86.89% | 76.23% | 55.91% |
Black | 24.2 | 16.98 | 10.47 | 20.95 | 36.08 |
Hispanic | 1.68 | 2.06 | 1.70 | 1.79 | 3.72 |
Asian | .82 | .96 | .77 | .85 | 3.97 |
Native American | .18 | .17 | .15 | .17 | .32 |
SOURCE: “Stimulant Treatment in Maryland Public Schools,” Pediatrics, September 2000. (Read the abstract.) |