Pill-abuse depiction is legit

Ritalin does make people hyper-alert, as the film suggests, but it does not generally remove inhibitions. If a group of teens took the drug at the same time, their actions would probably become accelerated and even grandiose, but they probably would not remove their clothes. Gonzales says that "pharm parties, where several different kinds of drugs are mixed together," are increasingly common, as the film shows.

As for the outlook for kids who abuse such drugs, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health has found that those who use prescription drugs nonmedically before age 16 are far more likely to develop a substance abuse dependence disorder later in life.

"Treatment for adolescent prescription drug abuse has not been proven to be effective," says Rick Rawson, professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at UCLA. "The film plays fast and loose, but this is a serious public health problem."

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Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and an associate professor of medicine at New York University's School of Medicine. He is also the author of "False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear." In The Unreal World, he explains the medical facts behind the media fiction. He can be reached at marc@doctorsiegel.com.