Drugging Our Children

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Drugging Our Children

 

BY

KATHLEEN DEOUL

 

http://www.cancer-coverup.com/newsletter/12-2003/

 

Big Pharma has a new target in its never-ending campaign to create more and more

" sick " people so it can generate more and more profits, but this time the target

is one that should outrage even the most complacent observer: our children.

 

Big Pharma's targeting of children began in the 1990s with a push to diagnose

them as suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD and Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. With much fanfare it was announced that these

terrible maladies were the result of a chemical imbalance, but fortunately, the

good people at Big Pharma had a solution: Ritalin. All you had to do to solve

the problem was to medicate your child, and we began to do so in droves.

 

In 1970, there were about 150,000 children taking Ritalin in the United States.

By 1980, the number had grown to 270,000. By 1990, the figure tripled to around

900,000 - and that's when the real push began. Today, it is estimated that as

many as 5 million - that's right - 5 million children in the United States may

be on Ritalin, and the number keeps growing. Worse, some of the children

diagnosed with ADD or ADHD are now being given powerful stimulants such as

amphetamines like Adderall and Dexadrine. When the number of children currently

being given some drug to treat ADD or ADHD is totaled, it comes to 7 MILLION!

This is 40 times as many children as were being treated in 1970!

 

But even that isn't the end of the pills being pushed on our kids.

 

 

Another rapidly growing class of psychotropic medications being foisted on our

children is a family of antidepressants called Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or

SSRI's such as Prozac for depression.

 

In 1996, some 735,000 children between the ages of 6 and 18 were being given

Prozac or related antidepressant drugs. This was an 80% increase from 1994!

Moreover, that figure included a 400% increase in the administration of such

powerful psychiatric drugs to children between the ages of 6 and 12 in just one

year between 1995 and 1996. But it was also just the beginning. By 1998, the

number of children on antidepressants rose to 1,664,000, and has continued to

climb ever since.

 

To put this in perspective, when taken together, the total number of children

currently on some type of psychotropic drug stands at about 8 million out of a

total school age population of roughly 51.5 million. This means that about 15%

of all school age children are on some form of psychotropic medication! Even

that figure, however, may understate the problem. A Time Magazine article cited

data which indicated that in a typical American high school 20% of the students

are on some type of psychiatric drug. Even more astounding, according to the

International Narcotics Control Board, in some U.S. schools as many as 40% of

the children are on Ritalin!

 

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that even if the lower figure is correct,

there's something terribly wrong with this picture.

 

Of course, for Big Pharma, it's an incredible boost to the bottom line.

 

Between 1998 and 2002, sales of antidepressants jumped by 73%. Just two of the

most popular, Paxil and Effexor each brought in more than $4 billion annually.

Sales of so-called analeptics (central nervous system stimulants like Ritalin

and Adderall) rose even faster jumping by 167% with corresponding increases in

revenues.

 

And mind you, 90% of these drugs are prescribed to children!

 

Looking at the figures, you'd have so assume that there's a mental health

epidemic going on among our children. But could this really be true - especially

since in the United States these drugs are prescribed at from four to five times

the rate they are in Europe? If it doesn't seem to make sense to you, there's a

very good reason - it doesn't make sense. Yet, if that is the case, why is this

rush to medicate our kids taking place?

 

One reason is that the drugs are most often being prescribed by doctors without

special training in diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders. Indeed,

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 60% of all prescriptions for

antidepressant drugs are written by primary care physicians - general

practitioners with no specialized training in dealing with mental problems.

 

Why would they do this?

 

Frequently as a consequence of pressure from schools - and therein lies another

aspect of the problem.

 

The shocking truth is that in all too many cases, diagnoses of disorders such as

ADHD or ADD are not being made by trained medical personnel. Rather they are

being made by teachers or school counselors with no medical training whatsoever!

 

How can this be?

 

Part of the cause lies in the way a diagnosis of ADHD is determined.

 

The American Psychiatric Association has prepared a list of nine " symptoms " of

ADD and ADHD. If a child exhibits six of the nine, they are diagnosed with the

condition. The " symptoms " include:

 

Problems in focusing,

Making careless mistakes with schoolwork,

Having difficulty paying attention to chores,

Having difficulty organizing things,

Losing or misplacing things,

Fidgeting and squirming,

Talking excessively,

Interrupting or intruding,

Having difficulty playing quietly.

 

To begin with, these so-called " symptoms " are entirely subjective! What

constitutes " talking excessively? " Is a child that plays loudly mentally ill, or

just enthusiastic? Could the child fail to pay attention simply because the

teacher is boring?

 

But, even if the criteria were applied with scientific precision, there's one

other thing about them.

 

In many cases, these criteria are being applied to children of PRE-SCHOOL AGE!

 

Is it really valid to believe that a 3 or 4 year-old can " focus. " Can we really

expect a pre-schooler to be " organized? " For that matter, are the mistakes in a

child's schoolwork really the result of carelessness, or could some other

problem such as dyslexia be the cause?

 

Still, you might assume that a competent, trained professional would be able to

make such judgments fairly and take into account other potential problems.

However, as noted, in most cases it is not a trained mental health professional

making the observations to determine the diagnosis.

 

So, if not a mental health professional, who does the observing? In most cases

it is the teacher.

 

Most schools provide teachers with a " checklist " of behaviors that they use to

evaluate children. These " checklists " are then forwarded to a health care

practitioner - more often than not the family doctor - with a preliminary

diagnosis of ADHD.

 

In theory, the doctor is supposed to send the child to a specialist who then

would conduct further evaluations to determine that the disorder really is

present. That, however, rarely occurs. Rather, the first instinct in far too

many cases is to medicate, usually with Ritalin and increasingly with a

combination of Ritalin and amphetamines.

 

And what is the result?

 

In plain language, it is a complacent child that offers little trouble, but is

effectively a walking zombie.

 

But is it necessary?

 

Not, according to Dr. Paul Organ, a psychiatrist who specializes in child and

adolescent disorders. Four years ago in an article in School Nurse Magazine, he

charged that " Most of the time we are using medications to calm down a child who

could be managed with the right type of supervision and discipline. "

 

He believes we have lost sight of how normal children behave.

 

" A hundred years ago, if you were on a farm somewhere, and if you had a boy who

was up early in the morning, gave him a whole bunch of chores to do and then he

could go out and play all day and run outside, come home at night, do more

chores and get up the next morning, that would be the perfect kid to have. But

in 1999 we want that same boy to get up, sit on a bus for twenty to forty

minutes, go to school, sit at a desk - wanting to go outside but he has to sit

inside for two hours (until recess) and listen to the teacher who is probably

boring him. My gut feeling is that these kids operate on a higher energy level

and that we do not, as a society, and in the schools in particular, provide the

type of environment to channel their energy in a way that helps them learn. "

 

But there is an even more disturbing aspect to the problem of over-medicated

children that Dr. Organ notes.

 

" Many kids, especially blacks, are in single-mother households, but I cannot

think of more than ten cases in ten years where a boy with ADD is brought in to

see me and put on medication who had a dad at home. You almost never see it and,

if it is, the kid has some brain damage, a head injury or something. Because

part of it is if there are two parents home, the parents can take turns dealing

with the kid's hyperactivity. These boys do have a lot of energy; they'll burn

out one parent. "

 

Dr. Gary Dennis, President of the National Medical Association, which represents

many of the nation's African-American doctors is particularly concerned about

the impact of school-based diagnosis on a minority community that

disproportionately relies on public health care such as Medicaid. He feels it is

highly unlikely that minority children would be afforded the sort of full

evaluation by a mental health professional necessary to make a valid diagnosis.

 

" If you're talking about a child who doesn't have regular access to a doctor,

healthcare or health insurance, then it's all going to be dependent on what the

school system says, but unfortunately, the school system does not do that kind

of workup. "

 

As Dr. Organ notes:

 

" There is no definitive lab test and there is no definitive brain wave test or

anything that identifies ADHD. It's really a diagnosis that you come at from

observing behavior. It's in the eyes of the beholder. "

 

Implicit in both Dr. Organ's and Dr. Dennis' concerns is the potential for the

" checklist " system to be abused - something statistics suggest is indeed taking

place.

 

Remember, on any given day from three to four children IN EVERY CLASSROOM IN

AMERICA will be on some type to psychotropic medication.

 

One question that is being ignored is what the long-term consequences of the

side effects of these powerful drugs might be on a child's developing brain.

This is particularly important since the frontal lobe - the region that controls

behavior - is not fully developed until an adult reaches the age of 30!

 

And just what are these side effects? A few examples will send a chill up your

spine!

 

The drugs approved for use in children include:

 

Adderall for ADHD - this drug is an amphetamine that can cause high blood

pressure, and overstimulation. Like all amphetamines it can be addictive and

withdrawal symptoms can take place when a child stops taking it. Adderall is

approved by the FDA for children as young as 3 years of age.

 

Concerta for ADHD - this drug is a stimulant that contains the same active

ingredient as Ritalin, but releases it over a longer period of time. Side

effects of Concerta include: headache, respiratory tract infection, vomiting,

sleeplessness, increased cough, sinusitis and dizziness. It can also stunt

growth, cause ticks and in some cases death. It can also cause a " zombie-like "

demeanor. Concerta is approved by the FDA for children as young as 6.

 

Strattera for ADHD - although Strattera is not classified as a stimulant like

Adderall or Ritalin, it has most of the same properties. It can cause an

increased heart rate, high blood pressure, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting,

irritability and weight loss among other side effects. It also has an adverse

drug interaction with Prozac, Paxil and Albuterol, and should never be

administered to children with asthma. Strattera is approved for children as

young as 6.

 

Ritalin for ADHD - the grandfather of ADHD drugs, Ritalin acts on a child in

much the same way that cocaine acts in an adult. Between 1990 and 2000 186

deaths caused by Ritalin were reported to the FDA's Medwatch. Since most experts

believe that only around 10 percent or less of all adverse events are actually

reported, that means that s many as 200 Ritalin-related deaths may occur among

children each year. The most common side effects of Ritalin include stomach

ache, insomnia, ticks, stunted growth and " zombie-like " demeanor. Ritalin is

approved for children as young as 6.

 

Prozac for Obsessive-Compulsive disorder - in January of 2003, the FDA made

Prozac the first drug to be approved for treating Obsessive-Compulsive disorder

in children. Its side effects include nausea, tiredness, difficulty in

concentrating and nervousness. In addition, in clinical trials, children given

the drug suffered from stunted growth. Also, the FDA has just issued a warning

concerning the administration of drugs such as Prozac to children, stating that

they can lead to suicide. Prozac is approved for children as young as 7 years of

age.

 

As dangerous as those drugs currently approved for children may be, however, an

even more disturbing trend is found in the administration of powerful

psychotropic drugs to children in so-called " off-label " use.

 

Off-label use refers to the practice of using a drug approved to treat a

specific condition to treat something else. It is perfectly legal - once a drug

is approved, doctors can use it in any way they see fit. In some cases this can

be beneficial - but in many it is actually the product of Big Pharma's grab for

the gold. Drug company detail representatives often recommend off-label uses to

expand sales of their products, with little regard to the efficacy of the drug

in the application they are recommending. But that's not the worst of it.

 

The drug company detail men are also calling on schools, to try to convince

teachers to put kids on these powerful, unapproved drugs!

 

This is no minor problem. It is estimated that as many as 115 million

" off-label " prescriptions were written last year. Three studies published in the

British Medical Journal found that anywhere from 13 percent to 22 percent of

drugs prescribed for children under the age of 16 were " off -label. " The study

also found that the risk of adverse reactions in children taking such products

was significantly higher than in the adults for whom they were approved.

 

The use of powerful psychotropic drugs off-label to treat childhood mental

disorders has become rampant. What is particularly disturbing about this

" off-label " use is that there has been no research to determine what the long

term effects of these chemical cocktails might be on a child's developing mind

and body. What is known, however, is that even in the short term, taking these

drugs can have serious side effects. Some examples of the drugs currently being

prescribed to children as young as six underscore this disturbing trend.

 

Zoloft for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - common side effects of Zoloft include

upset stomach, dry mouth, agitation and decreased appetite. It also carries the

risk of withdrawal symptoms if the medication is stopped, and more important, as

with other antidepressants prescribed for children, the risk of suicide.

 

Paxil for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - common side effects include nausea,

drowsiness and insomnia, but it also carries a serious risk of withdrawal

symptoms and suicide.

 

Effexor for Depression - common side effects include nausea, constipation, loss

of appetite and drowsiness, as well as the risk of suicide.

 

Depakote for Bipolar Disorder - this drug has serious potential side effects

including liver and white blood cell abnormalities, headache, nausea and

drowsiness.

 

Zyprexia for Bipolar Mania and Schizophrenia - among the common side effects are

weight gain, drowsiness and dry mouth, but Zyprexia can also cause seizures.

 

Lithium for Bipolar Disorder - common side effects include nausea, loss of

appetite and trembling of the hands (similar to Parkinson's disease).

 

Of course, the side effects listed above are only those observed in adults. What

additional problems may occur in children is not known. What is known is that it

is more likely than not those developing minds and bodies will suffer additional

adverse consequences. But Big Pharma just doesn't care - it's only concern is

the bottom line.

 

But what can be done about the problem?

 

The first step is to speak out and insist that schools and teachers don't use

these powerful chemicals to create a generation of zombies! Let them know that

you will not accept labeling a child as mentally ill on nothing more than the

" cook-book " observations of a teacher working from some pre-prepared checklist!

Certainly, where children need help, they should get it - but we should be sure

that the problem really exists. Remember, Albert Einstein would have been

diagnosed with ADHD under current rules!

 

Second, educate yourself about alternatives. Many of the problems currently

treated with powerful psychotropic drugs can be addressed more effectively

through non-chemical means: talk therapy, magnetic therapy, nutritional changes,

alternative education strategies and so forth.

 

Finally, don't be intimidated by the " professionals. " If the school tells you

that your child has ADD or ADHD, don't accept their diagnosis on faith value.

Too often it is being made by someone who has no more credentials than you do!

And even if it appears that the diagnosis is correct, make sure that medication

is a last resort. There are some cases where it may be necessary and indeed

valuable - but in many more cases other options will work as well or better.

Remember, it is your child's future that is at stake.

 

 

 

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