So, apparently it’s okay for children to take amphetamines in order to help them get through their homework. What the hell? I mean, I’m not a doctor, so I’m not qualified to say whether it’s safe to give amphetamines to children, but given how SUPER SCARY BAD BAD BAD amphetamines are supposed to be, I’m surprised they’re okay for kids to take.
See? This is what propaganda says that amphetamines do to perfectly healthy adults! I can only imagine what little Kevin is going to look like in 2.5 years.
“Oh, but that’s meth, and Kevin is getting Vyvanse! Vyvanse is a prescription drug, not a dirty dirty street drug.” Riiiight. Would you rather I called it Desoxyn, which is what they call meth when a doctor prescribes it?
Look, bottom line is that I don’t care what people put into their bodies, and I do realize that not all amphetamines are the same, and that taking a drug under a doctor’s supervision is different from self-medicating. All that being said, the idea that we’re simultaneously putting out the message that meth is the worst thing since sliced anthrax, while prescription amphetamines are TOTALLY FINE TO GIVE TO CHILDREN seems kind of hypocritical. Especially given that meth used to be a prescription amphetamine (technically still is, but nobody really prescribes it anymore).
#1 by Issa at March 10th, 2010
“meth is the worst thing since sliced anthrax”
Hahaha. Brilliant.
I think the combination of “consistent” and the smiling Kevin through his homework is kind of creepy. It gives the impression that if Kevin pitches a fit about homework, drugs are the answer! I realize that ADHD can be a serious issue for some kids, and that every parent with a kid on Vyvanse didn’t do it because they were tired of yelling about homework. Still. That’s how the ad breaks down to me, and it’s kind of creepy.
#2 by Joshua Bardwell at March 10th, 2010
@Issa: There was a section of the ad which I chose not to include, where the copy read something like, “Kevin’s coaches, teachers, and even his friends don’t see the kid that I see.” I realize that it could be read as, “I love my son and see the wonderful person that he really is, but other people seem only to see the symptoms of his ADHD, and I want to share his wonderful self with them.” But the cynical way to read it is, “Aren’t you embarrassed that everyone thinks you have a shitty kid? Medicate him, and you’ll be the star of the next PTA meeting!”
#3 by Tara at March 11th, 2010
I have ADHD and while I took myself off of medication in Highschool because it impacted my creativity I want to point out that amphetamines do work a bit differently in people with actual ADHD. It is a real neurotransmitter difference that is often over diagnosed. But it does happen and sometimes amphetamines are the best answer. When I took them I never once got any kind of enjoyment or addiction. But I DID pay better attention and my schooling improved.
This is not an endorsement just a clarification
#4 by Joshua Bardwell at March 11th, 2010
I appreciate you making this comment. I want to acknowledge that ADHD is a “real” condition. I suspect that it is terribly overdiagnosed, however, to the detriment of those who actually have it. So many of the symptoms of ADHD are similar to the ways that kids without ADHD respond to certain situations, and I’m skeptical if doctors’ ability to reliably differentiate. I suspect that we are giving amphetamines to lots of kids who have behavioral issues other than ADHD.