Methylphenidate was first synthesised in the 1940s, and was
marketed as Ritalin in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the popular press
attacked Ritalin effects as a "myth" and claimed that it was a tool
for "mind control" over children. There was also an epidemic of
methylphenidate abuse in Sweden, causing it to be categorised in
the US as a Class II drug in 1971 (
Diller, 1996). The benefits of
methylphenidate in the treatment of ADHD were then slowly accepted
again.
The United States production of methylphenidate increased by
500% to 10,410 kilograms, between 1991 and 1995 - an increase that
is rare for a Class II Controlled Substance (
Diller, 1996). The rate of production in
the US has continued to grow and in 2001 was reported to be 17,618
kilograms.