http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...ugs/stats.html
The production of methylphenidate (Ritalin) and the legal production of amphetamine in the form of Adderall and Dexedrine in the U.S. has soared since 1990. Since these drugs are considered to be potential drugs of abuse under the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA sets quotas regulating the amount of the drugs that may be produced each year to meet the demands for legitimate use, in order to ensure that there is not a surplus of production which could lead to drug diversion and illegal use. The dramatically rising production quotas shown below mirror the growing demand for prescriptions in the U.S.
According to the testimony of DEA Deputy Director Terrance Woodworth before the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families in May 2000, the methylphenidate quota increased from 1,768 kilograms in 1990 to 14,957 kilograms in 2000, and the amphetamine quota increased from 417 to 9,007:
IMS Health is a private prescription auditing firm. According to their data, the vast majority of prescriptions for amphetamine and methylphenidate are for children diagnosed with ADHD. Methylphenidate prescriptions rose dramatically in the early 1990s and have since leveled off at approximately 11 million per year. In comparison, amphetamine prescriptions, primarily Adderall, have increased dramatically recently, from 1.3 million in 1996 to nearly 6 million in 1999.
According to the United Nations, the U.S. produces and consumes about 85 percent of the world's methylphenidate. (RITALIN)