Did you know that between 5% and 35% of university srudents in the USA are now on ADHD nedications (psychostimulants) as a study aid ? These students do NOT have ADHD but are misusing the drugs so that they can cram for their exams and get better results. These figures come from the University of Michigan and it is just another sad story in the never ending ADHD saga. Interviews at the the James Madison University in Virginia showed that students were totally unaware of the risks they were running. Not only health risks , like seizures, weight loss, insomnia and maybe even sudden death (rare, it is true).  They even risk imprisonment and a very hefty fine if they are caught by the police  if they enforce the Virginia drug law.

I read about a boy who was 18 and had been on Concerta. He was completely knocked out by the massive doses they were giving him - he was on 75mg when the maximum daily dose should be around 50 mg. He stopped taking Concerta because it had dragged him down so much. He ended up setting fire to a building and was convicted of arson.

Often parents are at a loss what to do with ADHD children and wonder what is th best alternative ADHD treatment. They rarely think though of bonding activities and perhaps neglect them. I am thinking here of outdoor 'green activities' which if done with the kids can be a great bonding activity. in addition, it can help with hyperactivity and even if you are at work, you can at least follow what is happening by keeping in regular contact with the sports instructor or coach. You can also show that you are following your kids' progress and give praise when it is due.

Another great way to increase your control over kids is to set time limits especially for TV, DVDs and the Internet. Too much media exposure has been shown to be a negative influence on kids. The more TV they watch the more likely they are to end up as obese and have behavioural problems as well, such as ADHD ! The experts reckon that for every hour of TV watched a day, the chances of having a behaviour disorder goes up by 20% ! You may not believe that but figures do show that kids overexposed to the media are liable to end up with alcohol and drug depenedency problems as well as having premature sex.

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Nutrition and ADHD are hotly debated on the web these days. There are followers of the Feingold diet who swear by it. Others are very careful about cutting down on sugar, salt and fat.The bottom line is to give kids a balanced nutritious diet and cut out the processed stuff as much as possible. Fruit and vegetables can be the preferred choice.

The colourings used in food products (especially kids' ones) are now definitely on the way out and this is good news- at least in the UK and the EU . Both have put a voluntary ban on the 'Dirty Six' :-Tartazine (E102), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), Carmoisine (E122), Pomceau 4R (E124) and Allura Red (E129). Members of the European Parliament have also taken action and now food products containing the above colourings must be labelled "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children "