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Children
in a drugged nation
Children
today take too many pills. One must wonder
what will happen when they are older and
what the short- and long-term side effects
are.
The
United States has the highest rate of Attention
Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder diagnosis in the world, and around
1.5 million children use methylphenidate,
or Ritalin, every school day, according
to the Do It Now Foundation's catalog. Is
America's youth over prescribed?
Methylphenidate
is a stimulant and affects the way the brain
reacts to impulses. It seems that, although
some kids have ADD, many others may be using
the drug simply to stay focused.
United
States judges can order parents to drug
their children, even if the parents disagree.
Parents and teachers promote just saying
no to drugs, but have no problem with giving
children a little Ritalin to calm them down,
or Claritin for their allergies.
Isn't
10-years-old a little young to be dependent
on a pill? Children who are hyperactive
should find other ways to get rid of energy,
with activities at recess and lunch or by
not drinking caffinated drinks.
Methylphenidate
is like speed, and is one of the top ten
controlled substances stolen in the United
States. School nurse offices keep the drug
for students, and are less monitored than
pharmacies. Students can also get it from
the kind students who have been diagnosed
but find it easier to give the drug away.
The
federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration monitored emergency
room admissions in 1995 and 1996. They found
that patients 10-14-years-old were as likely
to mention Methylphenidate as cocaine and
75 percent admitted to using the drug either
on prescription or for recreational uses.
A
class action lawsuit was filed in San Diego
in 2001, but was dismissed on absence of
damage allegations against the drug. The
judge ruled that free speech included activities
to advance medical knowledge, and so California
law then protects the diagnosis of ADHD.
Another
highly diagnosed problem is depression in
children. Children sure seem to have more
trouble nowadays. The FDA recently approved
Prozac (Fluoxetine) another brand name drug,
for children seven to 17 with depression
or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is
a mood-booster, upping the levels of serotonin
in the brain.
Diet
can also boost serotonin levels, such as
by eating fish. Unfortunately it has been
said we should not eat fish often because
of the high level of toxins in water.
Giving
drugs to children is an infringement on
their rights as a human being. Children
are not given the chance to decide for themselves
which drugs to take or to avoid, and even
if the "Just Say No" campaign
worked, they will still accept the drugs
given by authorities.
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