Fpsyg 10 01817

BOOK REVIEW
published: 07 August 2019

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01817
Book Review: Drug Use and Abuse

Katelyn Rinker*
Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
Keywords: methylphenidate, attention, ADHD, pediatric, drug use, addiction
A Book Review on
Drug Use and Abuse
Stephen Maisto, Mark Galizio, Gerard J. Connors (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning), 2017, 512
pages, ISBN: 978-1337408974
Kids born in the 1990s were prone to a diagnosis of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or

ADHD (Maisto et al., 2017). This behavioral disorder presents with symptoms of excess “activity,
restlessness, difficulty concentrating or sustaining attention, and impulsivity” (Maisto et al., 2017).
ADHD typically relies on pharmaceutical treatments.
A psychopharmacology book written by Stephen Maisto, Mark Galizio, and Gerard Connors
describes a variety of drugs in great detail. Two main groups of drugs in the book include
stimulants and depressants. The drugs classified as depressants consist of alcohol and opiates, such
as morphine derivatives or other analgesic drugs (Maisto et al., 2017). Yet the stimulants include
nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, and the amphetamines (Maisto et al., 2017). Stimulants all have similar
psychological and physiological effects on the body.
Amphetamines, methylphenidate, and other stimulants share nearly the same pharmacokinetics
(Maisto et al., 2017). Most can be abused through injection into the bloodstream or intranasal
Edited by: administration as well as taken orally (Maisto et al., 2017). Physical effects of stimulants consist of
Avi Avital, alterations in serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels (Maisto et al., 2017). And behavioral
Technion Israel Institute of effects include excessive personality changes, such as increases in arousal, alertness, physical
Technology, Israel endurance, and social behaviors (Maisto et al., 2017). Stimulants may also create feelings of
Reviewed by: wakefulness or energy.
Vassilis Cutsuridis, But in the book’s discussion on stimulants, the medication Ritalin prominently stands out.
University of Lincoln, United Kingdom Methylphenidate carries the brand name of Ritalin, Concerta, or Daytrana. The book by Maisto
*Correspondence: and associates emphasizes the controversy of prescribing methylphenidate to children with ADHD
Katelyn Rinker (Maisto et al., 2017). They suggest that in 1990, use of methylphenidate has sky-rocketed at a huge
[email protected] increase of 500% (Maisto et al., 2017). They admit that since that date, pharmaceutical companies
have earned eight billion dollars from Ritalin sales alone (Maisto et al., 2017). But this statistic was
Specialty section: pulled from only populations of children who were old enough to attend school (Maisto et al.,
This article was submitted to
2017). The Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society agrees that in the past 25 years,
Cognitive Science,
a section of the journal
prevalence of ADHD diagnosis has increased (Mahone and Denckla, 2017).
Frontiers in Psychology Stephen Maisto and his team of researchers argue that any child can be diagnosed with ADHD
(Maisto et al., 2017). They suggest that restlessness, fidgeting, or inattention is common among
Received: 18 April 2019
Accepted: 22 July 2019
children (Maisto et al., 2017). They even go as far to say that children are labeled with ADHD due
Published: 07 August 2019 to bored teachers that do not know how to handle a child’s poor performance in school (Maisto
Citation:
et al., 2017). This concept might spark controversy, but the book mentions some interesting points.
Rinker K (2019) Book Review: Drug However, methylphenidate does improve academic performance and reduces problem-
Use and Abuse. behaviors (Maisto et al., 2017). Some changes in behavior consist of the new ability to focus on a task
Front. Psychol. 10:1817. in a timely manner (Maisto et al., 2017). As a result of this fact, methylphenidate use is commonly
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01817 known as “academic doping” (Maisto et al., 2017). The Journal of Attention Disorders agrees that
Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 1 August 2019 | Volume 10 | Article 1817

Rinker Book Review: Drug Use and Abuse
ADHD negatively impacts focus in school, which was tested on This drug was perhaps the most well-known for being created by
over two hundred college students (Jones et al., 2015). No matter local chemists instead of imported through other countries.
the education level, ADHD seems to take a toll on this important The pharmacology book authored by Stephen Maisto, Mark
area of functioning. Galizio, and Gerard Connors dives into the controversy that
The effectiveness of methylphenidate is demonstrated in methylphenidate is addictive (Maisto et al., 2017). They claim
a research study by the American Journal of Health System that long-term use of methylphenidate leads to a high possibility
Pharmacy (Sugrue et al., 2014). They found the medication to be of enjoying participation in raves, which are all-night dance
a very “useful option” for pediatric patients (Sugrue et al., 2014). parties at hidden clubs (Maisto et al., 2017). Events such as these
So it is well known that methylphenidate is a common treatment show that methylphenidate users may seek out certain activities
for ADHD. to try to obtain more of the drug.
But there are physical side effects of methylphenidate, such as There is even a large market for the illegal sale of
loss of appetite and weight (Maisto et al., 2017). Insomnia can methylphenidate (Maisto et al., 2017). The drug is labeled on
also occur when taking methylphenidate (Maisto et al., 2017). the street at “vitamin R” (Maisto et al., 2017). It apparently
This drug is popular for keeping users awake for days on end, makes “users feel energetic and enhances mood,” according to
with little need for food or sleep. the Drug Use & Abuse book (Maisto et al., 2017). Illegal use of
Another treatment for ADHD are the amphetamines, such as methylphenidate is very popular, as over 60 percent of college
Adderall or Vyvanse, which are closely rated to methylphenidate students admit trying the drug (Maisto et al., 2017). So the
(Maisto et al., 2017). Amphetamines are historically used to treat potential for dependence on methylphenidate is extremely high.
the common cold, narcolepsy, obesity, and attention disorders If one wishes to understand the psychopharmacology behind
(Maisto et al., 2017). The drug was known to cause a rush stimulant and depressant drugs, then Maisto’s book will satisfy
of euphoria, along with the desire to avoid sleeping or eating that desire.
(Maisto et al., 2017). Later, when the 1960s began, a new era of
amphetamine users were given the nickname of “speed bugs” due AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
to their formication symptoms (Maisto et al., 2017). Formication
conditions describe an individual who feels that tiny bugs are The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and
crawling under their skin, which induces pain or itching. has approved it for publication.
A drug that is shockingly similar to methylphenidate is
methamphetamine, which was created in the nineteenth century ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(Maisto et al., 2017). This illegal drug was developed toward the
end of the 1970s as a substitute for cocaine or opiates (Maisto Frontiers Journals deserves the highest praise for taking the
et al., 2017). From 2004 to 2012, methamphetamine laboratories time to publish this paper. I deeply appreciate all of their
formed in the Midwest of the United States in mass numbers effort. I also wish to thank Washington State University, who
(Maisto et al., 2017). In 2004, California alone conjured over two continues to provide me with a challenging and meaningful
thousand methamphetamine laboratories (Maisto et al., 2017). college education.
REFERENCES attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Am. J. Health Syst. Pharm. 71,

1163–1170. doi: 10.2146/ajhp130638
Jones, H. A., Rabinovitch, A. E., and Hubbard, R. R. (2015). ADHD symptoms and
academic adjustment to college: the role of parenting style. J. Attent. Disord. 19, Conflict of Interest Statement: The author declares that the research was
251–259. doi: 10.1177/1087054712473181 conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could
Mahone, E. M., and Denckla, M. B. (2017). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
disorder: a historical neuropsychological perspective. J. Int.
Neuropsychol. Soc. 23, 916–928. doi: 10.1017/S1355617717 Copyright © 2019 Rinker. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms
000807 of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or
Maisto, S., Galizio, M., and Connors, G. (2017). Drug Use & Abuse. Boston, MA: reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the
Cengage Learning. copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal
Sugrue, D., Bogner, R., and Ehret, M. J. (2014). Methylphenidate is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or
and dexmethylphenidate formulations for children with reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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BOOK REVIEW

published: 07 August 2019

Book Review: Drug Use and Abuse

Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States

Keywords: methylphenidate, attention, ADHD, pediatric, drug use, addiction

Drug Use and Abuse

Kids born in the 1990s were prone to a diagnosis of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or

Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 1 August 2019 | Volume 10 | Article 1817

REFERENCES attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Am. J. Health Syst. Pharm. 71,

Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 2 August 2019 | Volume 10 | Article 1817

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