Awareness of Ritalin

Lawrence T. Smith is an individual trying to get his voice heard by every parent out there. His article can be found on RitalinDeath.com or here. He was once a parent of Matthew Smith, who died when he was 14 years old due to long term Ritalin use. Matthew was accused of having A.D.H.D by his School's social worker. Lawrence and his wife did not know too much about the disorder or the drugs given to "treat" it. When they went to the recommended doctor, the doctor said he was certainly not the first kid from his school to be diagnosed by this social worker. The drugs given to Matthew were explained to his parents as mild and safe drugs. After Matthew's death, Lawrence later found out the reality of A.D.H.D. and the dangers of Ritalin use. This all is explained in the article from the link.
I think this article is extremely effective at persuading people to realize the dangers of Ritalin. It comes from first hand experience and is so personal that the reader can't help but listen to the point trying to be made. Every parent and future parent wants the best and healthy life for their child and knowing the facts from this article could greatly affect their decisions if the problem of A.D.H.D. ever came up with them.
The efforts of this single person has the potential to affect many lives. Sharing his personal story with the readers is a great example of someone who wants to make a difference. Even though his story is a very tragic one, it is definitely able to positively affect other families' similar stories.