Ever wondered what the quickest way to freak out a modern parent might be? It’s easy. Tell them there’s a national shortage of Ritalin.

Sad but true. Today 3 million American children are on drugs to solve behavioral problems. When it emerged late last year that there was risk of a shortage of these drugs, many parents grew anxious. Over the past three decades, the use of drugs like Ritalin and Adderall to address behavioral issues in children has increased twentyfold. In too many cases, the most important thing put in the mouths of our children each morning is not cereal, eggs or a vitamin.

It’s a mind-altering drug.

Psychologist L. Alan Sroufe, a 40-year veteran of child psychology and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, recently raised the issue of America’s Ritalin addiction in a bravely written article in the New York Times. I say bravely because Sroufe’s article, which simply questioned why parents are relying so heavily on mind-altering drugs to cure children with attention deficit disorder (add), aroused the ire of doctors, psychologists and parents all over the world.

Sroufe’s critics tore into the science behind his arguments, then cited countless other surveys, experiments and studies refuting the notion that drugs like Ritalin are ineffective. Honestly, after reading Sroufe’s well-reasoned, well-researched article and then many of the articles by his critics, which also sounded well-researched, it’s hard to know who exactly is right. And there’s the rub. Not sure about you, but to me the lack of accurate, proven information is telling—and worrying.

Clearly there are some pretty big gaps in the science. Nevertheless, American parents are relying more heavily than ever on these drugs.

It’s not logical.

I have two children, a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old. If I were to ever seriously consider putting them on mind-altering medication, the drug in question would have to meet some pretty stringent criteria. First, there would need to be incontrovertible evidence proving my child’s behavioral problem was primarily a biochemical or neurological issue. Second, I’d want to see reliable evidence showing the only solution was mind-altering drugs. And third, I’d want evidence that the drug wouldn’t impair my child’s physical, emotional or psychological health.

Fact is, Ritalin and Adderall—like most potent drugs—don’t come close to meeting any of these criteria.

Take the theory that children that have add have a neurological deficiency, or a “brain deficit” as it’s sometimes called. When a child is diagnosed with add, parents are generally told that little Johnny has a problem similar to that of a diabetic, who has a chemical imbalance that can be rectified with an insulin injection. Believing parents (who often do very little homework) are led to believe that if Johnny takes Ritalin, the chemical imbalance will be made right and the problem solved. It’s all a lie, explains Dr. Sroufe. Truth is, “there is little to no evidence” proving behavioral problems are primarily caused by a neurological deficiency and can therefore be fixed with a chemical.

This fact dismantles virtually the entire “scientific” premise justifying the use of Ritalin.

Why then are parents relying more heavily than ever on these drugs?

Consider also: There is no evidence proving mind-altering drugs like Ritalin or Adderall are actually curing our children. While these drugs can improve concentration in the short term, they’re not making a difference over the long-term. To date, Sroufe notes, “no study has found any long-term benefit of attention-deficit medication on academic performance, peer relationships or behavior problems, the very things we would most want to improve” (emphasis added throughout).

You’ve probably seen those commercials pushing a magic pill that will cause miraculous weight loss. Given the right circumstances and depending on the individual, the pill might have some short-term benefits. But after a while, the effects wear off or the user develops a tolerance. Pretty soon, the dieter stops taking the pill and quickly balloons. Why? Because the drug did nothing to cure the fundamental cause of the problem. It’s the same with the mind-altering drugs 3 million American children are taking.

Ritalin isn’t curing our children, or even making them smarter and more disciplined or well-behaved in the long term. The best-case scenario is that these drugs are providing a quick, temporary, often marginal, fix. Even then, it often comes with a price—both financially and, most importantly, in the health of the child. Some of the side effects of Ritalin, for example, are a loss of appetite, sleeplessness and stunted growth.

Why then, are parents relying more heavily than ever on these drugs?

Generally, children, some more than others, have issues with behavior, discipline and concentration. I’m sure the 3 million children on Ritalin do indeed have trouble focusing, or are hyperactive or impulsive. But let’s be honest: 50 years ago, being impulsive or hyperactive didn’t mean a 5-year-old had a neurological defect—it simply meant he was a child. Yes, anecdotal evidence suggests children today are worse behaved. But does anyone seriously think this is due to a sudden emergence of children with neurological deficiencies?

Isn’t it possible there might be another reason for our undisciplined, hyperactive children?

Sroufe writes that “one of the most profound findings in behavioral neuroscience in recent years has been the clear evidence that the developing brain is shaped byexperience.” First, it’s telling and a little sad that scientists consider this reality—that environment shapes the development of a child’s mind—a “profound” finding. Next they’ll be telling us that science has proven that the sun makes flowers grow.

Sroufe’s point, though, is that science has proven that environment matters. After studying multiple large-scale studies, Sroufe concluded: “What we found was that the environment of the child predicted development of add problems. In stark contrast, measures of neurological anomalies at birth, IQ and infant temperament—including infant activity level—did not predict add.” Think on this. Scientists can’t prove that mind-altering drugs have lasting positive benefits on a child’s behavior, but they can prove that the environment a child lives in has a direct bearing on his or her behavior.

Why, then, are parents generally doing nothing about environment and opting to rely more heavily than ever on mind-altering drugs?

The answer might feel like a punch in the nose, but it’s the truth: selfishness. It is the responsibility of parents to create an environment conducive to the development of stability, obedience and discipline in their children. If a child’s environment is chaotic and lawless, those qualities are likely to develop in the child. If a child lives in a home that lacks discipline, doesn’t it make sense that he might lack discipline? In a sense, children with add are the products of parents with add.

Again, the ultimate cause is parental selfishness. Many parents find it easier to momentarily alter the behavior of their child by having him pop a pill than to overhaul the environment in which the child lives. Rather than make an effort to create the conditions necessary for raising happy, stable children who can focus and display discipline, too many parents choose to subject the minds of their own flesh and blood to mind-altering drugs.

More than anything, rocketing Ritalin use is an indictment of the woeful state of parenting in America.

For those willing to accept the logic of this argument, the solution, or at least a big part of it, is obvious. As parents, we must create an environment favorable to children who display self-discipline, respect and self-control. Creating this environment isn’t easy, and requires certain ingredients. First and most important, it needs love. Not the shallow, me-first self-love that pervades Western culture, including our parenting. It takes a purely selfless, out-flowing, put-others-first love.

When this selfless love is present, you need law, or a set of well-defined standards—a code of conduct. As parents, we need to be well versed in these laws and striving to follow them ourselves. Then, the children need to be given regular, daily instruction in these laws. These laws need to come via a hierarchical form of government, a distinct chain of command. An environment conducive to raising healthy children needs strong parental leadership.

Finally, when selfless love pervades, a code of conduct has been established, and the government is in place, children need consistent discipline. Not loveless whippings, or angry, uncontrolled rants, and never physical abuse. They need loving, controlled, yet consequential discipline. “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame,” wrote King Solomon.

Cultivating this sort of environment is not easy. In fact, it’s one of the hardest challenges we as parents face. Building this sort of home requires self-discipline, character, consistency, hard work and concentration from us. It means being educated in proper child rearing, marriage and the laws governing human conduct. Finally, it also requires the one thing human beings in their carnal state find so impossible: total selflessness.

Think on this, because it’s the only way we’ll ever fix our children and our embarrassing addiction to Ritalin.