According to The New York Times, the FDA has “cited every major ADHD drug — stimulants like Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, and Vyvanse, and nonstimulants like Intuniv and Strattera — for false and misleading advertising since 2000, some multiple times.”
That story quotes experts who argue that marketing — and, in some cases, false marketing — by pharmaceutical companies is behind much of the rise in the number of people taking Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta, and Focalin.
They note that sales of stimulants have quintupled since 2002 and point to potentially misleading quizzes that let adults test whether they have ADHD. The Times polled more than 1,100 adults and found that more than half scored in a range that said they “possibly” or “likely” suffer from ADHD, suggesting the criteria are far too inclusive.
