CLEVELAND -- Medicine used to treat conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder are hot items on the black market.

In this week's Connecting With Kids, NewsChannel5's Tonya Strong explains the dangers.

For Devin McAdams, 15, pills are his medicine. He has ADHD.

"This is the Concerta, and I was offered $5 per pill for that, and this is the Ritalin, and I was offered $10 per pill for that," he said.

But for many teens at his school, the medicines are black-market drugs.

"In middle school, I was only approached by five or six kids, and then when I got to high school, I was approached by five or six kids per month," McAdams said.

A recent survey from the University of Wisconsin confirmed that the problem is widespread.

Researchers said that more than one-third of students who take medicines for ADHD or ADD have been asked to sell or trade them.

"These are controlled substances, and when (kids) use them in ways they never were intended, then the outcomes can be very bad," said Steven Garber, a clinical psychologist. "A particular kid who has an underlying cardiac problem or something else, or who just takes too much of this at one time, can be seriously damaged or can die from it."

It's dangerous, and that's why McAdams said he won't sell.

"It really tells us that on the front end, we need to be sure that the medications at home are secure, that they're supervised when they're given out," Garber said.

At home and at school, he said that students should be given their medicine one pill at a time.

Parents should also explain that selling any medicine without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal.

Parents should count the pills every day at home. If your child receives the medication at school, get a weekly update from the nurse.

By the way, Ritalin is also one of the most popular street drugs in America.

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