Concerned about the growing trend of healthy students taking ADHD medications to boost their study skills, the American Academy of Neurology today issued a stern new policy statement.

The practice of prescribing these drugs, called neuroenhancements, to healthy students is called misguided and not justifiable. The Academy spent years analyzing all of the available research and ethical issues to develop its official position on the "study drug" matter.

Reasons against prescribing these drugs to healthy patients include:

• questions about the long-term health and safety of neuroenhancements
• questions about whether kids have the maturity to make good judgments
• concerns that a request for these drugs may reflect other medical, social or psychological issues
• and the risks of over-medication and dependency.

The statement points to dozens of legal, social and ethical reasons why prescribing mind-enhancing drugs for healthy children is viewed differently than it is for healthy adults. More research is needed on what the long-term effects of these medicines are on a developing child's brain. In the meantime, America's neurologists strongly urge healthy children to steer clear of these medications.

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, bringing you another ounce of prevention.