In a heart wrenching story about a young boy who died from the overuse of pharmaceutical drugs used to treat a potential diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, Nicholas Kristof uses a bitter tone to retell the unjust story of Andrew Francesco, a boy who died for all the wrong reasons. Andrew Francesco was a vivacious, joyful 8 year old. When he began to lack focus and be disruptive at school, he was prescribed Ritalin to help. When those drugs didn't do the job,doctors prescribed him more and more until his behavior became alarming. Fast forward 7 years and Andrew ends up suffering deadly complications from the continued prescription use, ultimately resulting in his death. Kristof's attitude throughout the article is bitter. Throughout the story, he uses words such as "greedier" and "vulnerable" to describe the difference between the greed of doctors and the drug industry in comparison to the vulnerability of children and young adults to the medicines, since their brains are underdeveloped. He talks about the way that the companies look for money and the industrial advantages compared to the way that consumers suffer from the constant use of drugs on their brain and body. He exhibits animosity towards the subject, more specifically the industries, as a result of the pain and grief that Andrew's family endures. The use of this tone isn't unique to only Kristof, as everyone who reads this sad story should feel the same way.
Statistics on the use of prescription drugs in the United States by the CDC.