[drugawareness] UK Top Doctor Pushes to get all on Smart [????] Drugs

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atracyphd2

Wed, 7 Jun 2006 17:44:26 EDT

[drugawareness] UK Top Doctor Pushes to get all on " Smart

[????] Drugs "

 

 

SMART???? DRUGS? ANYTHING TO ENCOURAGE US ALL TO USE THESE, RIGHT?

 

This article begins with a main premise by one of the leading doctors in the

UK, Sir David King: The new generation of “recreational psychoactive

substances†could be given to healthy people to enhance their lives. " SMART

drugs to make people think faster, improve their memory and reduce tiredness

will be commonplace within 20 years, according to the government’s chief

scientific

adviser. "

 

In the 60's they called it " better living through chemistry " and now

they are referring to these drugs as " “cognitive enhancers,â€

“cosmetic neurology,†or “nip and tuck†for the mind. "

 

In the 60's what they were promoting was LSD for treatment of mental

illness and alcoholism. Around the turn of the century little containers of

cocaine were kept on one's nightstand and promoted as " cognitive enhancers. "

Now the drugs being promoted " cognitive enhancers " are all the newer

pharmaceutical stimulants - the Ritalin family of drugs and the SSRI

antidepressants along with an Alzheimer's drug.

 

Frightening that such stupidity could be so easily recycled? You bet

it is!!! When will society ever get smart enough to stop history from

continuously repeating itself?

 

Two months ago I had an experience that I have been wanting to find a

minute to share with you and it fits right in on this subject. I became very

ill with pneumonia and found I was out of the old standby herbs I generally

keep on hand for such things. So I made a trip to Campbell's Health Store in

Des Moines, IA where I moved my offices this past year. After gathering some

cinnamon sticks, garlic, cayenne, and slippery elm I thought I would take a

minute

to look at the books.

 

I was pleased to see that they carry many books written by many of my

good friends in the health and nutrition industry who give such good

advice. But then one book jumped out at me. It was something with a title that

included the term " smart drugs. " In fact Smart Drugs may have been the name of

the book.

I thought " drugs " ??? Why would a book in a natural health store talk

about drugs?

 

So, I picked it up to investigate further. I thought perhaps they were only

discussing ginko or something actually beneficial - nutritional for the brain.

To my shock and amazement I learned that what the author was promoting as a

" smart drug " was an older MAOI antidepressant!!

 

At that point I took the book to the counter and told the girl there

that she needed to let the owner know that this book was on her shelf. I

explained that it was promoting an antidepressant as a so called " Smart Drug "

when medical science has known for decades that increased serotonin produces

mental retardation and ALL antidepressants increase serotonin thereby producing

mental

retardation, not " smartness " !

 

My next shocker was to learn that the owner seemed unconcerned about

it. Who knows! Considering how many who are " into " health now are taking

antidepressants themselves, I might have offended her because I was saying

things she did not want to hear about her own drug of choice. After all the

largest health book distributor in the country, Nutri-books, refused to carry

my book when it first came out in 1994 because they already carried Peter

Kramer's " Listening to Prozac " and did " not want to confuse " their customers by

providing an

opposing view! I checked to see if I really heard them right. When

they told me that my response was, " Hello? Is this Nutri-books? " I could NOT

believe my ears! Here was my book explaining in great detail the damage these

drugs do to the body and the brain and then showing how to withdraw safely and

rebuild the body with natural things and they were choosing a book that

promoted these drugs instead? Obviously the drug companies have not missed

anything in

the mass promotion of these drugs. But at that point you could have

knocked me over with a feather!

 

In fact several years ago Mark Taylor, the first boy shot at Columbine High

School, his mother, and I paid a visit to Nutri-book. We presented them with

the Insight Magazine article we had done with Kelly O'Meara on Columbine being

caused by antidepressants in honor of their contribution to causing Columbine

in their own back yard (they are based in Denver) by not carrying my book as a

warning that could have saved many more lives and possibly have prevented

Columbine. Of course they quickly showed us the door. :-)

 

The moral of these stories is that you are NOT safe anywhere anymore

when it comes to these drugs and neither are your loved ones. They are clearly

determined to drug us all or at least as many of us as they can. Keep your eyes

WIDE OPEN at all times! These companies have once again been making a very big

push in the media to get these out there in mass and will not stop! Sadly there

is much too much money to be made on these drugs.

 

Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.,

Executive Director, International Coalition For Drug Awareness

Website: _www.drugawareness.org_ (http://www.drugawareness.org/)

Author: Prozac: Panacea or Pandora? - Our Serotonin Nightmare

& CD or audio tape on safe withdrawal: " Help! I Can't Get

Off My Antidepressant! " (800-280-0730)

 

 

_http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2209952.html_

(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2209952.html)

 

The Sunday Times

 

 

 

June 04, 2006

 

No 10 scientist urges brain pills for all

David Cracknell and Steven Swinford

 

SMART drugs to make people think faster, improve their memory and

reduce

tiredness will be commonplace within 20 years, according to the

government’s

chief scientific adviser.

Sir David King told ministers at a presentation in Downing Street that

a new

generation of “recreational psychoactive substances†could be

given to

healthy people to enhance their lives.

He said that brain enhancing chemicals could also “revolutioniseâ€

treatment

for mental disorders and create new treatments to fight drug

addiction.

King’s report adds to calls from scientists for the removal of

restrictions

on “cognitive enhancers†which have been dubbed “cosmetic

neurology†or “

nip and tuck†for the mind.

It also cements King’s reputation as an increasingly influential

figure in

the government †" a civil servant who is unafraid to speak his mind

on topics

ranging from climate change to drought and drugs.

Ritalin and Modafinil, the first generation of mind enhancing drugs,

were

originally intended to treat disorders but have since been adopted by

people

from across the social spectrum because of their ability to enhance

performance.

Ritalin was originally intended as a treatment for children and adults

with

hyperactivity problems, but has since been adopted by students to help

them

to concentrate. A study in America last year revealed that 20% of

healthy

American college students use Ritalin before exams.

Modafinil is generally prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy, a

condition which causes people suddenly to fall asleep. It is now

becoming popular

for its ability to help people to think clearly and make decisions

when tired.

Scientists are keen to see restrictions removed on more drugs to make

them

available without prescription.

Dr Andrea Malizia, a consultant senior lecturer in the Department of

Psychopharmacology at Bristol University, is calling for Donepezil, an

Alzheimer’s

treatment, to be more available. Donepezil has a “remarkable

impact†on a

wide range of functions, including memory, concentration and the

ability to

learn.

“The potential for these drugs is enormous. People already buy

vitamins and

take caffeine to improve mental functions but these drugs will offer a

whole

new dimension,†said Malizia.

“Studies have shown that people who take these drugs are able to

memorise

more words than they normally could †" and increase their general

brainpower.

“We have used them to treat mental disease with great effect, but

there is

obviously the market for healthy people to take them just to get

smarter.â€

Other scientists remain concerned about smart drugs. Dr Paul

Howard-Jones,

neuroscience and education network co-ordinator at Bristol University,

said

that the drugs needed to be carefully regulated.

“The [smart] pills are likely to be available to the general public

in a few

years. But we do not know how they will be regulated †" it may be

that they

are only sold on prescription, or it may be that they are sold on

supermarket

shelves like vitamin pills,†he said.

“There could be restrictions placed on their sale, but that might

mean

people buy them illegally. I would call on people to start discussing

their impact

†" before they start causing tremendous problems in society.â€

This concern was also raised by King during his cabinet briefing.

“Should we

change regulatory structures to enable new procedures in non-medical

psychoactive substances?†he said.

“Are ‘cognitive enhancers’ a great market for social opportunity

or

destabilising and divisive?â€