How is Ritalin used?
When abused, Ritalin tablets are taken orally, crushed and then snorted, or dissolved in water and “cooked” for intravenous injection. There are numerous reports in medical journals about permanent and irreversible lung tissue damage related to injection of crushed Ritalin tablets. In order to make the 5- to 20 mg. dose tablets large enough to handle easily, at least 100 mg. of “inert ingredients” are added to the tablets to increase their size. Depending upon size and formulation, the following inert ingredients are found in Ritalin tablets, according to the manufacturer: lactose, starch, polyethelene glycol, magnesium stearate, sucrose, talc, cellulose, mineral oil, and various dyes and conditioning agents. While these ingredients are “inert” when taken by mouth, they can cause serious problems when injected or snorted.
