Of course, far better that doctors should prescribe children speed than that they should have a toke behind the bikesheds:

New figures show that GPs are prescribing pills in record numbers to combat stress, violent behaviour and even tiredness.

Under-16s
were given drugs for mental health problems more than 631,000 times
last year, compared to just 146,000 in the mid-Nineties.

The
huge increase has been blamed on a rise in childhood mental illness
sparked by family breakdown and high-stakes school exams.

Yes, Ritalin (that drug prescribed to stop boys being, err, boys) is part of it but there’s a much larger possibility. Given that I have no medical training whatsoever take this with the shoveful of salt required.

1) We have an epidemic of childhood obesity.

2) Children do not eat more than previous generations. They exercise less.

3) Exercise is known to help deal with (some) depression.

Ergo, (some) childhood depression is caused by lack of exercise.

Bring back the mandatory cross country run and problem solved, eh? For of course we can’t actually have organised games (sold all the playing fields), can’t have footie at break time (teams: they’re selective, divisive), can’t trot along the road to school (paedos).