THE NEW YORK POST: RITALIN PUSHER CHANGES HIS TUNE ON SCHOOLS - Commentary by Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD

  THE NEW YORK POST
  RITALIN PUSHER CHANGES HIS TUNE ON SCHOOLS 
  

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
when there is no disease; when the children are normal,
"pusher," and "scum" are words that apply. With no disease, nothing
about such drug-pushing is legitimate medical care. ]

  By DOUGLAS MONTERO
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  September 27, 2002 -- WASHINGTON.
 
  A NATIONAL parent group that has been accused of encouraging the 
  widespread use of Ritalin on behalf of the manufacturer wants 
  educators to stop pressuring parents to drug their kids.
 
  That startling admission comes as the acting director of the National 
  Institute of Mental Health said there is a concern that many doctors 
  across the nation are misdiagnosing kids with attention-deficit 
  hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - which is turning hospitals and clinics
  into pill mills. 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
CHADD, created for Ciba/Novartis, by
Ciba/Novartis with members of the NIMH ever-present on its
professional advisory board is the number one "pusher" of Ritalin,
indeed of all stimulants. The consistently tell 2 lies: (1) that ADHD
is a disease, and (2) that Ritalin (and all other stimulants) are safe
and not appreciably addictive]

  E. Clarke Ross, who heads the 20,000-member group Children and Adults 
  with ADHD, made the admission just before he testified yesterday 
  before Congress - which is investigating the out-of-control practice 
  of schools
  medicating children.
 
  "Their job is to teach and 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
to]

  observe barriers to learning, not 
  practice medicine," Ross said.
 
  Ross, who was called before the House Government Reform Committee to 
  explain why Ritalin is appropriate for kids, also said the drug is 
  overprescribed in some areas but underprescribed in others.

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
as
if there were any schoolchildren for whom such drugs are appropriate;
in whom ADHD as a disease could be validated.]

  Ross was blasted on Capitol Hill by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), the 
  committee chairman, who accused the medical professor 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
he is not
a physician, he is not qualified to diagnose or prescribe]

  of being in the pocket of drug lobbyists.
 
  Nearly shouting, he charged Ross with creating an "appearance" that 
  his organization was compromised, since it received money from drug 
  companies.
 
  Burton later told The Post he would like to see restrictions on how 
  health associations are funded.
 
  But Ross denied allegations by advocates and several government 
  agencies that he's lobbying for Ritalin use - despite the estimated $1 
  million his organization has received over the past 10 years by Ritalin's
  manufacturer.
 
  Burton said 6 million kids in America are taking Ritalin, while 
  officials with the National Institutes of Health say the number is 
  only 2 million. 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
an absolute lie from the NIH/NIMH]

  Regardless, the damage has already been done.
 
  Dr. Richard K. Nakamura, head of the National Institute of Mental 
  Health, said, "We are concerned about improper diagnoses of ADHD. 
  

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
Nakamure, like his predecessor, Hyman, knows that ADHD has
never been validated as a disease having, as it must a demonstrable
abnormality within the child/person]

  "There's a possibility that physicians are told, 'You have X amount of 
  time to diagnose XYZ' by their managed-care organization. I believe 
  physicians are being given too little time and money to properly 
  diagnose."
 
  He said a proper diagnosis comes with extensive tests to determine 
  whether a child-behavior or learning disability may be attributed to 
  other problems, such as autism or dyslexia.
 
  A number of New York parents have complained that many doctors 
  referred to them by the schools usually spend a mere 45 minutes with 
  their kids before prescribing Ritalin.
 
  The doctors usually make their diagnoses by looking over a school 
  evaluation report on the child's behavior, which many say is 
  subjective and leads to abuse. 

[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
is entirely subjective. There
is no physical abnormality to demonstrate to make diagnosis
objective.]

  The complaints from parents last month forced both the state and city 
  Education departments to issue memos reminding educators that banning 
  a kid from school because the parents refuse to medicate is a 
  violation of the rules.
 
  Yet Jill Chafeitz, the executive director of Advocates for Children, 
  said Wednesday her office is still receiving complaints from parents