CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE HAS IT 17%–8.5 MILLION U.S. SCHOOLKIDS ON PSYCH DRUGS–ILLEGAL “PUSHERS” HAVE LOTS OF CATCHING UP TO DO - Commentary by Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD

Fred A. Baughman, MD comments on:

CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE HAS IT 17%--8.5 MILLION U.S. SCHOOLKIDS ON PSYCH
DRUGS--ILLEGAL "PUSHERS" HAVE LOTS OF CATCHING UP TO DO

House Told Schools Overuse Mood Drugs
6:45 am PST, 7 May 2003
http://7am.com/cgi-bin/catwire.cgi?POLITICS_1000_2003050703.htm

Medical experts told a House panel Tuesday that too many children were being
labeled with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
How many is
too many given that all are told they have a disease--a brain disease, but
no disease is found in a single one. Moreover, ADHD has never been proved
to be a disease.]

, and improperly placed on psychotropic drugs
such as Ritalin and Adderall to be "calmed down."

Most experts say perhaps as many as 2 percent of schoolchildren are
difficult to manage 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
difficult to manage has never, will never be
validated as a disease. We are talking only of adults--teachers and parents
who find drugging their challenging, normal kids an easy out]

 and
could use the medication.

But, they say, as many as 17 percent of school-aged children are on the
mood-altering drugs, according to Dr. William B. Carey, director of
behavioral pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
Carey is a reliable source and here, he says 17 % of school-age
children are on psychiatric drugs. This is .17 x 50 million = 8.5 million.
There are no objective abnormalities; signs, diseases, therefore the numbers
can only continue to escalate as they have in the past 1 1/2 decades. This
is a criminal act of the US against it's own physically, medically-normal
children. My own guess is that ADHD comprises about 7 million, with all
other mental health diagnoses comprising 2-3 million. In any event the
total is fast approaching 10 million or 20% of all of our
children.]

"Why is 80 percent of the world's methylphenidate being fed to American
children?" Dr. Carey asked the House Education and the work force
subcommittee on education reform.

Congress has found that in a number of cases schools are requiring parents
to have their children placed on the psychotropic drugs. Otherwise, schools
would not allow the kids to remain in class. 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
Most reprehensible of
all NAMI, CHADD, NIMH, APA, ASAP, AACAP represent not just to the public and
educators that all psychiatric diagnoses are diseases but to CPS, juvenile
and family court judges and to legislators. Not only do they represent they
are diseases but that they are reportable diseases (to CPS, courts)
treatment of which is an urgent, emergent matter--essential, even if
removing the child from the home is necessary to accomplish treatment.
Peter S. Jensen of CHADD, formerly of the NIMH (now at Columbia U.) has been
among those orchestrating the court-mandated treatment of ADHD children
(actually normal children) while at the same time refusing Ritalin-stimulant
therapy for his own ADHD child.]

"However, these drugs have the potential for serious harm and abuse. They
are listed on Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act," said Rep.
Michael N. Castle, R-Del, the subcommittee chairman.

"Drugs are placed on Schedule II when the drug has a high potential for
abuse or may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence," Mr.
Castle said.   

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
and, at times stimulants and all psychiatric drugs,
especially in combination--polypharmacy, are death-dealing]