Well, I was on Ritalin for several years as a child. And although I've obviously not dropped dead and it hasn't destroyed my life, it has caused me some problems. First off, I am 37 years old, weigh 155lbs, have a body fat percentage of 12.8%, Blood pressure 97 over 57, and a resting heart rate of 70 bpm. I have always been extremely physically active. Mountain Biking 3000-6000 km per year. Hiking several hundred km per year. Kayaking a couple of hundred km per year, etc. With all that, one would expect me to have the stamina and endurance of a beginner triathlete. Not a chance. If I try jogging, I get about 500 meters before my heart is pounding so violently that I'm literally seeing stars, and my body is actually shaking with each heart beat. Same goes for swimming. If I try swimming laps I can get 20 - 25 meters before the pounding starts. My heart beats so violently sometimes, that I have to adjust my position in BED because my heart beat is making the springs squeek. Also in bed, I sleep with ear plugs, so I can hear a great deal of what's going on in my body when I'm wearing them. And with this hearing ability I can (if I have gas or drank to many carbonated drinks) hear my heart FLAPPING against my stomach.(Kinda like a wet sandle flapping sound) This goes on until I belch, then no more flapping. Now, there is no history (known) in my family of enlarged hearts. But there is mounting evidence of heart damage including enlaged hearts in persons who took Ritalin as a child. Microscopic examinations of the hearts of former Ritalin users who have passed on have shown heart muscle damage IDENTICAL to that found in Cocaine abusers. It is also interestig to note that the chemical composition of Ritalin is ALMOST identical to Cocaine. Which is why Ritalin is referred to as Kiddy Cocaine, and is crushed up and snorted in schoolyards just like Cocaine, and the "high" achieved is reportedly identical to Cocaine, though less intense. Adults who as children were on Ritalin, are almost twice as likely to abuse drugs as those who never took Ritalin. Then of course there is the 100% guarantee that the childs long bone growth will be stunted. One Hundred Percent. I myself am 2 to 2 and a half inches shorter than I should be. If Ritalin unequivically causes long bone stunting, and it does, then there is almost no chance that it doesn't have any other negative effects on a childs developing body and brain. It HAS to have other negative effects, such as heart problems that have not been "Confirmed" yet. I would not even conceive of the idea of giving my child a narcotic like Ritalin without first eliminating artificial colorings, artificial flavourings, and artificial sweeteners from the childs diet. This has been proven in test after double blind test to be MORE effective for ADD and ADHD than ANY drug or combination of drugs. A simple blood test for vitamin, mineral, and micro-nutrient deficiencies is also important to do BEFORE giving a child a drug like Ritalin. The childs behavior problems could be as simple as a vitamin deficiency. YES it can. REMEMBER. NO matter what a Doctor tells you. They DO get SOME type of "compensation" from the drug companies when they fill out that prescription form.(Any particular reason the drug companies hold their ALL EXPENSES PAID seminars for Doctors in the most beautifull tropical places possible) From the extensive research that I have done, I would never condone the use of Ritalin in anyone under the age of 21. YES 21. When a humans development is guaranteed to be finished.