From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

ADHD, and America's drug culture.

Hello again, I'm Mormon Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

The daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

More than 10% of American children have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

That's a 53% increase in just 10 years.

Ritalin, Adderall, and other treatments for ADHD are now a $9 billion industry.

And abuse of those drugs, especially in college, is epidemic.

Is ADHD caused by brain disease or early childhood experience? How long does medical treatment last? And what are the side effects? Do overdiagnosis and excessive drug prescription

create the illusion of easy solutions for complex problems. On reporter's notebook later on, political bribery charges in New York City.

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Hello again, Mormon Alney, back with To the Point. There has been a huge leap in the diagnosis of

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in American children.

Doctors are prescribing drugs, including Ritalin and Adderall, to treat ADHD.

But what is it? Are drugs the right answer? What are the consequences of widespread abuse of

those drugs in colleges and elsewhere? On reporter's notebook, we'll hear how a Democratic

State Senator tried to drive his way

onto the ballot for mayor of New York as a Republican.

...