Alarm raised as children snort Ritalin
A local security company warns parents about children crushing and snorting Ritalin.
ENFORCE Security’s investigators have expressed their shock after receiving information from respected medical sources and school pupils about the growing abuse of Ritalin tablets.
The security company said on its Facebook page that Ritalin, a central nervous system stimulant, is being used as an experimental drug.
It was reported that users will take a tablet or more, crush it and sniff it as one would if they were using cocaine. It then does not take long for the user to experience a ‘high’.
According to Drug Free World this amphetamine-like substance causes the same types of effects on the body as other forms of speed. The effects include loss of appetite, insomnia and increased heart rate. The abuse of this drug in larger doses, especially through injection or snorting, puts an even greater strain on the body. The stress on the heart can be fatal.
Short-term effects
- Loss of appetite
- Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
- Dilation of pupils
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Nausea
- Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
- Hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability
- Panic and psychosis
- Convulsions, seizures and death from high doses
Long-term effects
- Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
- Liver, kidney and lung damage
- Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
- Respiratory (breathing) problems if smoked
- Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
- Malnutrition, weight loss
- Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion
- Strong psychological dependence
- Psychosis
- Depression
- Damage to the brain including strokes and possibly epilepsy
“This of course is extremely dangerous and could cause irreparable damage, or death. Please keep a watchful eye on your children, especially if they use Ritalin for medical reasons,” Enforce said on its page.
