More and more youths getting high on Ritalin

Ritalin has for years been one of the most common substances in the police’s illegal drugs statistics.

Unlike most of 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.

Doctors have sounded the alarm about the growing use of Ritalin as a recreational drug numerous times over the past few years.

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But the problem is showing no signs of fading. In fact, it has now reached critical proportions, says Martin Kúrberg, who manages Tórshavn’s homeless shelter.

“We started seeing significant Ritalin abuse among young people about two to three years ago, and this has increased steadily since then."

The people behind the ‘Megna títt lív’ (‘Cope with your life’) youth support initiative acknowledge this same trend.

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“We’re seeing more and more people experimenting with prescription drugs such as Ritalin, and they are getting younger and younger,” says Magni Højgaard, who heads ‘Megna títt lív’.

He explains that prescription drugs like Ritalin can be taken in many ways, including through sniffing and injection.

“If you inject this into your body, you get lots of pleasant chemicals rushing through your body, which can be a very welcome feeling if you are struggling with mental issues.”

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Kúrberg is urging action from politicians because he believes this problem is spiralling out of control.

“Drug abuse is for people who struggle to manage their lives. This is the Faroe Islands, a modern and prosperous nation. It’s just not right to see youths resorting such desperate actions in a society like ours.”

Having witnessed this problem escalating over many years, Kúrberg says this has now turned into a major social problem.

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"I don’t believe our young people are the real problem here; I think the problem lies in how young people are treated in our society,” he says.

“We need to shorten the massive waiting lists for psychiatric treatment. It’s just not right that young people wait for years to get a diagnosis during their formative years. This leaves them thinking: ‘I’m not like the others’ and they end up with a needle in their arm.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.