Ritalin misuse on the rise

So far this year, the number of illegal substance cases has reached 79, compared to a total of 96 last year.

Ritalin is one of the most common substances in the police’s illegal drugs statistics.

Unlike the other illegal substances seized by the police, Ritalin, a prescription drug primarily used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is not smuggled in from abroad.

A growing problem

The use of Ritalin as a recreational drug has been known to the police for years, but the problem has now reached critical levels, according to Marjus Dam, the chairman of the Association of General Practitioners, who urges the authorities to up their efforts to get a handle on this problem.

Dam highlighted the same problem back in 2016. This resulted in a meeting attended by representatives from the GPs’ Association, the Chief Medical Officer, the police and the pharmaceutical sector.

This was a constructive meeting, he says, but the problem continued to escalate, which is why he is now urging the authorities to initiate further action.

Alternative available

He adds that there is an alternative to Ritalin that has no narcotic effects, but this drug costs more than ten times as much as Ritalin, which would make it difficult to introduce into the Faroese medical system.

Health minister Sirið Stenberg has been contacted for a comment.

Translated by prosa.fo