Why are so many teens and young adults turning to stimulant drinks and drugs? Given that I run a busy pediatric practice and take care of patients up to age 21 (or so), I went straight to the source. I heard the same things repeatedly.

If you decompress, you become more efficient and less anxious, and you sleep better. Slowly integrating other healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise and good diet can help you rid yourself of the need for the high-performance cocktail.

Children are learning that success comes not by training, practice and hard work, but by taking shortcuts. We tell young people, "Don't use drugs," but our beliefs and actions encourage them to win at all costs.

The diagnosing of millions of children with ADHD in order to medicate them with stimulants and other psychoactive chemicals is an American tragedy, growing into a worldwide catastrophe.

Are energy drinks the new coffee? Do they have excessive health risks and do they need to be regulated, or is the problem limited to their excessive use in our youth?

According to a recent study, caffeine interferes with sleep and this effect worsens with age. For shift workers, who need to sleep during the day, caffeine can really antagonize sleep.

I got schooled by two college students about the widespread use of ADHD meds -- by kids without a diagnosis of the condition -- to study, stay attentive, and sometimes just to feel good.

Are teenagers the victims of drug dealers? Partying? Actually, they are trying to handle the overload of work in eleventh grade in highly competitive schools in affluent communities.