The NYTimes reports that there are nationwide shortages of Ritalin and Adderall. Apparently, the DEA constrains the production of active ingredients used in a variety of medications. I had no idea this was the case, and it is perhaps one of the worst aspects of our national war on drugs.
Some problems with the war on drugs are on display over at Mangan's. Commenters are generally ignorant about pharmaceuticals and attention deficit problems and the entire tone is dismissive of the issue.
It may be that there is over-prescribing of Adderall, but I would submit that the problem is that, when people who think they may have ADD or ADHD take Adderall, it makes them feel great. If they have ADD, they don't know what "normal" feels like, and, if they don't have ADD, they don't know that ADD feels like, but they do know what better-than-normal feels like. So who's going to report a failure in cessation of symptoms?
Having taken Adderall before, I can say that it is not an unpleasant experience and would probably improve most people's lives. Frankly, I don't care if it is overprescribed.
