A reply to critics of using stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The lay press has paid increasing attention, much of it negative and distorted, to the use of stimulants for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examination of the points in the antistimulant arguments finds no support for any of them in the scientific literature. Physicians should not feel defensive about using stimulants for treatment when proper indications are present. This article will assist the primary care practitioner in answering parents' questions on these issues.