Enjoy!!!
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:50:58 -0800 (PST)
From: "charles leblanc"
Subject: COMMENTS FROM READERS!!!!
To: "oldmaison"
1-Before getting to Fredericton and meeting Charles
Leblanc I though that
Ritalin was a French actor.
I learned a lot about Ritalin from
Charlie since that first day back in
2OO3 and it has help me to understand the possible
side affects of this
drug.
When it was sugested that one of my grandchildren
should be on it, I
explained to my daugther what I had learned about it.
My grandson isn't on it and I'm glad he is not on it,
because there are
other alternatives.
Thank you Charles,
< POLITICIAN >
===============================================================
2-Hi there Charles,
There is something not right today there are to many
kids on
Ritalin. Kids today are so hyper, even kids that are
not on Ritalin,
kids are so high- strung. So is it the food that we
are eating
today our environment? maybe the government needs to
look into
this.
==========================================================================
3-Salut Charles,
Oui, je pense que le gouvernement du Nouveau-Brunswick
devrait établir
une
enquête sur l'utilisation du ritalin auprès des
enfants.
< PRETRE >
==========================================================================
4-Charles-
I believe the government should study Ritalin usage in
the province,
both to gauge its
effeteness as a product and to investigate whether it
is over
prescribed.
==========================================================================
5-Charlie-
There is no good long term effects with ritalin, in
most cases these
children that are given ritalin become drug addicts in
later life. I
There needs to be a documented study done and a follow
up to see what
goes
on with these children when they grow up and I think
that they would
find
that they began a very dangerous cycle by giving the
children ritalin
as a
child.
The government is to blame for all children that was
given ritalin as a
child and grew up to be a drug addict. They could of
done something
and
they chose to do nothing and education is the key to
fully understand
all
that is available for the child in need. It does not
have to be mind
altering drugs..........there are other non-stimulant
alternatives!
========================================================================
6-
Charles
Would parents give children cocaine.....of course
not............but on
the
other hand parents think that because it comes in a
pill form and the
doctors prescribe it that it must be ok............of
course not
because
its cocaine in a pill and they are giving it to their
children and they
will pay later that is for sure.
=========================================================================
7-I think that the Human Rights Commission's decision
that "adults who take Ritalin are close to mental
retardation" is totally insane and they really need to
do some intensive research with knowledgeable people
on the subject of ADHD. They are still back in the
turn of the century. They should all be replaced!!!!!
Doctors have made great scientific discoveries of how
the brain works over the most recent years. Many
adults with ADHD are documented Geniuses and have
changed the world with inventions and discoveries.
They are the movers and shakers in our world that get
things done. The HRC people need to open their
brains...their out dated beliefs sound more like they
have Mental Retardation!
=============================================================
8-YES!!!! I AGREE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MOST
DEFINATELY DO A STUDY ON THE ISSUE OF RITALIN!!!!
======================================================================
9-I most defiantly have views against any one taking
drugs of any kind- if not needed. And there are side
effects- to any drug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
Kids are facing side effects, at an early age. These
are not like Grandpa's heart pills>that are more
needed than the side effects....This is drug addiction
to the most vulnerable of people at a young
age,,>>that will make them unhealthy and addicted to
worse drugs later on in life...and who cares??????
The government should because the children are the
future! And, why shouldn't this be
studied????????????????????!!!!!!!!!
==========================================================================
10-
Ritalin in and of itself is not necessarily a bad
thing.
For those who actually need the drug. It is a God
send.
The problem begins when we use the drug as a quick fix
to control behavioral problems in kids.
Not only should the province conduct a study
to examine whether Ritalin is being over prescribed,
the medical community should examine whether
physicians
are too quick to take the word of teachers and social
workers in diagnosing whether or not a child has
ADD/ADHD.
Protocols should be put in place and criteria set to
determine whether a patient actually has these
disorders
and is a candidate for Ritalin or if there are some
other
underlying reasons for their behavioral problems.
If the latter is fond to be true, those problems
should be
dealt with appropriately.
==========================================================================
11-
Hi Charles, as you know, at the present time, Ritalin
can only be
prescribed by a physician. My background and
experience is in Education but
as educators, we could not determine who or how many
students received
the medication.
Are you requesting that a specific committee study
the issue? A
committee of course, could not tell physicians which
medications to
prescribe. These matters are determined by those with
expertise in the medical
profession.
Best Regards, < POLITICIAN >
======================================================================
12-
I think that some one should study more on Ritalin !!
=======================================================================
13-
Charles -
I agree that a major study should be done of this. My
information, anecdotal and from some physicians, is
that Ritalin is way over prescribed.
============================================================================
14-
Charles,
bien sûr qu'il devrait y avoir des études sur
l'utilisation abusive du
Ritalin chez les enfants! Bonne année , Charles!
==========================================================================
15-
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 13:04:22 -0400 (Atlantic
Standard Time)
From: "Carol Mullin"
Contact Details
To: oldmaison@yahoo.com
Subject: Kids on Ritalin
Hi Charles: When you asked me if I would like to be
on your update list, I had no idea that I would be
bombarded with e-mails every day - and long ones at
that. I am too busy to respond to everything you
send. (Do you not have a job, Charles? Is this all
you do all day?) But this is an important issue and
it is commendable that you spend your life fighting
the system and making waves. Too bad more people
wouldn't get on board to make many voices heard and
listened to. As for myself, I am the quiet type and
don't make much noise, but I also have opinions on
this subject.
I run the Fredericton ADHD Education & Support Group
and try to be a good listener. We have speakers some
months and just chat sessions other months. It is
important that people dealing with the stress and
struggles of ADHD have others who know what they are
going through and are able to discuss it with people
who truly understand. Nothing is more frustrating
than being told that it is due to bad parenting
skills. Sometimes, but not always. It takes a lot of
strength and patience to parent this type of child.
Alot of the parents have it themselves too, so dealing
with their difficult children is quite a challenge!!!
Many people with non-ADHD children say "Oh, I know
what you are going through, dear. " When in fact, they
haven't a clue what it is like! "What he/she needs is
a good spanking!" Or "you didn't spank them enough
when they were little" Like hitting them will make
them grow up to be respectful and loving adults. What
about their self-esteem????Oh...I could go on and on!!
But back to the subject of Ritalin...YES...THE
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO AN INTENSIVE STUDY ON THIS
ISSUE!!!!
I do agree that too many children are put on Ritalin.
An awful lot of them are just hyper and act
inappropriately to what society deems as acceptable
behavior. Due to a lot of different reasons, such as:
too much sugar in their food and drinks, allergies to
certain foods cause extreme behavior changes, our
foods are loaded with dangerous chemicals that alter
the body functioning, some families do not have enough
boundaries and structure, some parents do not have a
good support system or were abused children themselves
and don't have good parenting skills. These children
are often put on Ritalin as a solution or Band-Aid,
instead of investigating the many possibilities that
could be causing the problem. There are clinics here
that can test for food allergies, and organic sections
in our stores for better nutritional choices. We are
all being slowly poisoned by our chemical laden food
supply and breathing in chemical laden air every
day!!!
But then on the other side of the issue, are the ones
who truly do have a chemical imbalance in their
brains. They do have ADHD and they benefit greatly
from having the chemical added to their systems to
help the brain work the way it was intended to. Most
often it is hereditary or caused by trauma to the
brain. It is unfortunate that in Canada, the testing
for this is very minimal, and ends up being an
assumption by the teachers and the medical doctors
based on behavior and questionaires. In the States
there is "brain imaging" that actually shows the way
the brain is working during certain times and under
certain conditions. Tells the doctors what part of
the brain is malfunctioning due to chemical imbalances
as compared to the imaging of a brain not affected by
ADHD. Tells about lots of other symptoms as well. To
bad we don't have the technology here in Canada.
Giving Ritalin to someone who truly does have ADHD,
can give them the opportunity to improve the way their
brain can focus, can help them slow down and be like
the other people around them, which in turn gives them
more self-esteem and satisfaction in their
achievements. Many can do things well while on the
medication that they could never do before . Helps
them to concentrate and do well in school, instead of
most often failing in what they attempt or cannot
finish. It could be the difference between having a
parent proud of their child's behavior or
accomplishments, as opposed to having a parent who is
always yelling and unhappy with their child's bad
behavior and attitude. They grow up in a negative
atmosphere or a positive one. This can really affect
the way the child matures and what they are like as
adults and parents themselves.
You may use this in your column with my name attached,
if you like. I speak from the heart and I sincerely
care.
Carol Mullin, Fredericton ADHD Education & Support
Group
=========================================================================
16-
Charles
I agree with you 100%
=======================================================================
17-Je ne suis pas convaincue que c'est la réponse; la
première des choses
c'est les parents qui décident de donner le Ritalin
aux enfants pas le
docteur (le docteur le prescrit mais c'est encore les
parents qui ont
le dernier mot) ou le gouvernement. Nous sommes tous
au courant du
danger du Ritalin alors qu'est-ce qu'une étude
changerait vraiment?
=======================================================================
18-
Charles-
As a parent of a child with ADHD, and another child
with autism, I want to comment on the reason why
someone needs to look at the high prescription use of
Ritalin and/or related medications. Ritalin is often
prescribed quickly, similar to a "knee-jerk" reaction
as often by the time parents get to a physician they
are at their wits end. Coupled with this is
escalating hyper behaviour at home, and school, where
the teacher and/or a principal are concerned and
suggest the parent seek medical help in the form of
Ritalin. I witnessed it said myself...."there are
pills to help with that you know...I think he has
ADHD". No teacher, education official, nurse,
rehabilitation therapist has the right to diagnose
ADHD, let alone be so bold as to say it directly to
parents. Only a physician has the right to assess and
diagnose....it is the law! And other professionals
need to be told to remain within their boundaries.
Appropriate assessments need to be done on the child
both psychological and medical. Ritalin is a band-aid
and does not get to the root of the problem. Once
"triggers" for this hyper behaviour are identified,
Ritalin might be prescribed as a means to help settle
the child, while at the same time parents and
professionals are teaching the child coping
strategies, and techniques on anger management, etc.
The list is exhaustive. Ritalin should only be
prescribed after a "double-blind" study is completed
to make sure Ritalin would indeed be appropriate.
Ritalin does have its place but is needs to be done
allot more judiciously!!!!
One must look at why the child is behaving the way he
is.....is it diet related(to much refined sugars,
etc).....can the child filter out the noise level in
the classroom which causes him not to hear what the
teacher is saying, therefore increases frustration
and negative behaviour, in this case an FM System may
be needed, audiologly may need to get involved to
determine if the child has a Central Auditory
Processing Disorder....does he have the social skills
to make friends, if not he needs to learn these
skills....what is the home-life like, is there a poor
family situation, do the parents argue in front of the
children, are the parents/parent spending time with
their child. The television is not a
parent....parents needs to get involved in their
child's life. If the child is involved in sports etc,
just don't drop off the child and leave"for a break"
but volunteer to coach, stay and cheer on the game.
Hang out with your child more, watch a movie together,
go sliding or skiing together, read together.....get
the family time happening. Praise your child and help
build up their self-esteem, which by now is very low
and they consider themselves "stupid". People can say
what they will.....but the family unit is in trouble
in today's "quick" society and these children are a
result of that.
Is there a problem with the over-use of Ritalin...YES.
Should the Government study this issue...YES. If
Ritalin and related medications are not
prescribed/used properly....it is definitely the
stepping stone to further drug addictions for these
individuals. In New Brunswick we have a problem!!!!
So people get your heads out of the sand an start
dealing with this problem. It is bigger than you
think.
=========================================================================
19-
I think that ritalin alters who a child is, it's a
serious thing when a doctor prescribes drugs for a
child. If you aren't happy with the child that you
gave birth to, then perhaps you should never have had
children at all. It's no human beings place to alter a
child that god created.
=========================================================================
20-
I understand there are drugs in the market, and
extensively used, whose side effect include sudden
death. That should take care of any health problems,
permanently.
There is indeed need for lot more scrutiny of
pharmaceutical companies than currently exists.
========================================================================
21-
what do u have against ritilin?? It has helped many
children and families.
=======================================================
22-
Charlie-
I agree that a study should be undertaken on the
issue of Ritalin prescriptions being given to
children.
There is too much of this going on and it seems to
usually be based on a teacher's information to a
doctor
who then prescribes the drug. One answer would be for
more teachers and/or teacher's aides to be hired but
we
know that's not going to happen. The class sizes are
probably too large for one teacher to handle so if
there
is a child with ADHD, or even a child who's a little
over active, the way they get around it is to drug the
child. I don't blame just the teachers. Doctors too
have to be responsible in this issue. Drugs are too
easily handed out these days - that includes
penicillin
which is given for almost anything now and in my
opinion
when a severe infection develops later on the drug
will
have to be stronger and better to fight the infection.
An immunity is built up after so many times being
prescribed
and it just won't work that well anymore.
Another problem of course is that there are so many
households
with either both parents working or it is a single
parent home
where that parent has to work long hours or two jobs
just to
make ends meet. That leaves little spare time to
spend with
kids who desperately need supervision, coordinating
their
activities, and maybe just quiet time with a parent
just
talking or reading a book. People just seem too busy
to spend
time where it's needed with their kids and they depend
on
teachers to fill that need.
All this is very easy for me to say because I don't
have kids
myself but I do have brothers and sisters who have
kids and I
see how hard it is for them to find the time needed to
nurture
the kids and spend "quality time" with them.
Anyway, I'm starting to rant a bit. Bottom line -
there is a
definite need for a study on the issue of Ritalin.
HAPPY NEW YEAR CHARLIE.
===================================================================
23-
yes they should study our children and grandchildren,
these are our
future.
====================================================================
24-
Hi there….
I would like to present an alternative question for
your consideration.
why not have the members of parliament tested for add
and adhd? I am
sure that
among the pill-pushers of the medical community you
could find at least
one to
certify that the elected members who talk during the
session while
others are
speaking are obviously in need of drugs to be able to
concentrate. and
those
who get up and walk around or send notes out to others
are visibly
interfering
with the attention of others in the chamber, so they
too must be
narcotized
into correct behavior.
after all, is the definition of adhd merely that the
person is not
paying
attention to other persons? most particularly, any
person who is not
concentrating on a self-important person is judged to
be lacking in
mental
skills, demonstrating a lack of social skills and
generally exhibiting
an
inability to learn from instruction.
I am sure that a camera placed in the media gallery of
the house would
provide
all the necessary proof of the existence of this
scourge in our society
which
must be eradicated at all costs, even if the society
is destroyed in
the
process.
I find it difficult to answer the question of why
study the issue of
Ritalin.
the facts of the issue are not at issue, there is a
sufficient amount
of
history and accumulated knowledge to warrant the
further investigation
of both
the drug itself and the application of the drug. that
there exists
public
outcry in more than one country and language by itself
should provide
the
necessary impetus to at least question the
circumstances of the use of
the
drug.
unfortunately, the issue of Ritalin is one which will
open more
questions than
the elected and un-elected leaders wish to see in
public. given that
the issue
of Ritalin is a school issue, investigating the use of
Ritalin will
call into
question the structure of the education system, and
more importantly,
will
bring to the general public the worst question that
could be raised:
what is
the purpose of the education system? it is in the
answering of this
question
that the answer to the problem of Ritalin exists.
Clarifying the function of the education system in
terms of the society
in
general will cause unrest in the taxpaying, voting
public. this is
something no
elected official wants under any circumstance.
there are 3 or 4 major functions in society which the
school system is
directly
responsible for. the most obvious is the knowledge
which is imparted,
however
imperfectly. the second is the knowledge of
manipulating knowledge, or
wisdom,
if you like.
the largest area of the education system is the
imparting of social
values to
the new generations of participants. it is here that
we see the use of
Ritalin,
unchecked, will effectively eliminate any desire in
the voting public
to
question any person of authority or responsibility.
any person who is
judged to
be a threat will, and are, forced to take drugs to
effectively remove
them from
participation in the society as a functioning member
of that society.
this works in many ways: by virtue of the drug itself
the mental
abilities of
the person will be reduced. the existence of the drug
will then cause
the loss
of social privileges, and the forced paternalism
toward the takers of
the drug
by the well-meaning and others with less generous
intentions.
a more insidious problem is also becoming evident:
social ostracisation
of the
takers of the drug. even thought the drug is medically
prescribed, the
taker is
labeled as "defective", so any opinion or decision or
political
statement is
discounted because the person is a taker of "that
drug". no group will
want
those with that prescription to be a part of their
group on the grounds
that
participation will reflect badly or negatively on the
group and its
objectives.
this circumstance is already being related as
happening to many
students
everywhere where the drug is used in the school
system.
as you can see from the foregoing, answering the
question "why avoid
the study
of Ritalin" is a lot easier to answer.
the issue of Ritalin joins other issues which the
government does want
in the
public eye: why can little johnny not read? where is
the oversight on
the power
commission? why are the civil service positions
expanding faster than
the rise
in population? where are the graduates of the high
schools living now,
and why
is there no opportunity for them in New Brunswick? why
have all the
government
job creation agencies failed?
I am sure that there are other questions which have
the same
characteristics as
the Ritalin issue. health care is supposedly a
priority for every
elected
party, yet the number of hospital beds and nursing
staff, etc is
decreasing.
welfare is designed to maintain the recipients in the
system and
punishes those
who try to get an education to better themselves.
and a related question about social responsibility:
when was the last
time a
civil servant was convicted of receiving bribes and
sent to jail? when
was the
last time a scandal erupted over inappropriate
exercise of authority by
a civil
servant? is New Brunswick so perfect that these things
do not happen
here?
i hope that this will answer your question and
possibly provide you
with some
perspective about the problem. never mind that the
issue needs to be
studied
for the future well-being of the citizens of new
brunswick, or that the
social
structure is being undermined, or that a large number
of voters are
unhappy and
need to be paid attention to, or that the response of
the civil service
is out
of proportion to the question, or that the
condescending attitude of
the
elected members is nauseating to the general public
who read and think,
or that
taxpayer money is being spent on items which the
taxpayers deem to be
incorrect, ..........
have a happy new year, and keep up the good work!!!!
==========================================================================
25-
The government should not do a study on Ritalin.
First, the kind of
formal
studies you're asking for cost a fortune and nothing
ever comes of
them.
More importantly, though, Ritalin is not the scourge
you say it is. It
may
be that it is being prescribed for some children who
don't need it, but
it
is an absolute godsend for many. A child I know was
had her life
totally
changed for the better by her diagnosis of ADHD and
the prescription of
Ritalin. She was unable to concentrate all through
elementary school,
which
meant she did terrible in school. This made her feel
stupid, and it
caused
other kids to make fun of her and call her names. One
year after her
prescription, she's getting As and had lots of
friends, and is sooo
relieved
to learn she's not stupid aftert all, but has a
treatable condition.
My own son has an ADHD child in his grade two class,
and the mother
won't
agree to Ritalin. This child is constantly disruptive
in class. He's
learning nothing, and the other kids aren't learning
much either,
because
the teacher has to spend most of her time trying to
control the poor
child.
This child is unable to focus or sit still, and
medication will help
him get
an education, and help the other 21 kids in his class
get the education
they
deserve.
My point: maybe it's true that some kids are being
medicated who don't
need
it, but some children DO need it! You're not doing
them any favours by
saying bad things about the medicine they need!
==========================================================================
26-
The question is not why a study should be done, but
whether a study is
necessary! The Government and medical agencies are
well aware of the
numbers. For more than a few years experts and
articles have stated
that
medication is being used on many children when it
really isn't needed.
Information is what is needed - what kind of behaviour
is sufficient to
warrant Ritalin or other calming medications and what
kind of behaviour
can
be changed by other measures. Unfortunately in this
world where both
parents
must work (in many cases) it seems impossible that
behaviour
modification
methods could be used satisfactorily and when needed
so we come down to
the
use of mind altering medications.
I believe that doctors must be the first to
understand the problem,
if
there is a problem, and they must be the ones to start
the ball rolling
with
more and better information getting to the parents and
teachers who
must
contend with disruptive behaviour at home and in the
classroom.
So...is a study really necessary or should the
'powers that be'
just get
off their duffs and do the right thing!
=====================================================================
27-
I am not sure if it should be "government" - after all
it is us who
always
pays to have the "government" in EVERY aspect of our
lives- but any
impartial body would be good---after all the companies
can't do it
honestly
and many doctors won't give up the bonus'----we do
need a 3rd party to
study Ritalin because it is a DRUG that we are not
completely sure of,
and
parents are at the wits end for help-
--so it is Ritalin we need to study or put time and
our money into
studying
other therapies for these families---I say scr*w
Ritalin and let's
study the
possible benefits of other therapies and causes and
maybe other
drugs(MAYBE
something natural)...
=====================================================================
28- I taught that I would add this little comment--<
Charles >
Hi Charlie...Happy New Year............There is one
thing I would like
to
know.............who diagnosed you as
ADHD.............and at what age.
========================================================================
29-
Happy New Year Charles,
Personally, I think there should be a study done
within the province on
ALL prescription drugs. Ritalin is one that needs to
checked into, but
there are several others that seem to be over
prescribed as well.
< POLITICIAN >
=======================================================================
30-I hear you loud and clear Charles
I agree with you.
See ya!
=========================================================================
31-Charlie,j'aimerai en discuter davantage avec notre
critique qui est
Roly McIntyre. Ma position personnel a toujours ete
que ta requete
devrait etre adresse pour finalement avoir l'heure
juste sur toute la grande
question du ritalin.
Salut bien,
< POLITICIEN >
==========================================================================
32-
If something is not done these children, who are
prescribed Ritalin indiscriminately, will grow up to
be drug addicts. Some may commit crimes to support
their addiction and others may be suicidal. Many of
these children who can become productive and
contributing members of society will simply end up
being burden on society. A great human cost, tragedy
and cost to society. That is why there is an urgent
need to study the issue of Ritalin.
=============================================================
33-The government should study Ritalin to make sure
that they are not over
prescribing this drug in order to maintain control
over kids. Alsot to
establish probable facts explaining why this drug is
the best solution
in order to assure the public. We need to make sure
it is not an easy,
simple way out in dealing with "hyper" children. We
need to make sure
that they are following procedures to determine if it
is indeed the
best
medication. Also, we could develop other solutions to
deal with this
issue such as spending more time with our children at
the parc instead
of in front of a television. Many people say that
Ritalin has helped
their children dramatically and they couldn't do
without Ritalin and
others are completely opposed to it so it's a very
sensitive subject.
I
think we have just become too busy as a society that
we have lost focus
on the important things such as spending more time
building a
relationship with our children and parenting them. It
seems that it
has
become a bigger problem in our generations as opposed
to our
grandparents. How were they dealing with ADHD? If
ADHD was not a big
problem as it is now, maybe we should ask ourselves,
is it the way we
live our lives? Is it a question of lacking attention
from busy
families, neglecting families, I dunno. I am not the
person to judge
because I have not done any research on this subject
nor have I been
around children who have ADHD but I hope that this
issue can be looked
at, studied and resolved once and for all.
=====================================================================
34-
Charles-
10,000 signatures on your petition should mean 10,000
reasons to start
with!
========================================================================
35-
Non-Stimulant medication called Strattera should be
considered for all
children and adults with ADD/ADHD and the elimination
of ritalin should
be
strongly considered with this new drug
Family support/counselling/education should be
available to families
going
through hard times with children with ADD/ADHD to try
and avoid
bitterness
in later years developed by living with a child with
add/adhd. This
would
help many families.
========================================================================
36-
Why study Ritalin use in NB?
1. How many kids are on Ritalin purely on the say so
of their teacher?
2. How many kids are on Ritalin that don't need to
be?
3. How many Ritalin kids are just behaviour problems
that the system
doesn't have the resources to help appropriately?
4. How many Ritalin kids are missing out on the
positives of ADHD?
5. How many non-ADHD kids are being denied progress
because they are
unlucky enough to be in a class with some "integrated"
ADHD kids?
6. Double blind studies are a must to get a proper
diagnosis of ADHD.
This program exists in Nova Scotia, why not here?
I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't bring
them to the
surface
right now. I am a pharmacist, so I see both sides of
the coin. I see
kids
and adults who have no business being on Ritalin, but
I also see people
Who
should be seeking treatment but who are afraid of
being labeled. It's
shameful to see but true.
Good Luck Charlie,
< THIS IS FROM A PHARMACIST!!! >
==========================================================================
37-
Our kids, our future, Ritalin is not the answer
Not everyone who is given Ritalin has add/adhd
disorder
More education needed by all parties concerned
Too much time goes by with nothing done and its better
late then never
Our Children are more important then the dogs,
insurance, etc that get
studied
Children who take Ritalin lose their appetite, some
are malnutrition
and
they do not even know it. They can skip meals and
they do not even
feel
hungry.
I think that they need to find another way to teach
children with
add/adhd
because they are at the last resort and this does not
have to be.
=====================================================================
38-
Charles…
1. Side effects such as an enlarged heart......some
deaths......
2. Zombie like personalities..
3. Excess drug use when they reach their teens...and
into adulthood....
4. Lazy Teachers and parents should be studied for
taking the easy way out....
and Charles you ought to write a documentary book on
it
=============================================================
39-CHARLES, Happy New Year to you and all your readers
Regards
< POLITICIAN > I decided to add another one…..
============================================================
40-Although I
feel for kids with sore stomachs, unfortunately many
drugs have
unpleasant
side-effects.
However, MANY drugs are far too easily prescribed.
Maybe the study
should
be on the reasons that medical practitioners are so
quick to prescribe
stuff. Is it because they have too many patients and
can't take the
time to
carefully diagnose? Is it because the doctors know
most people have
some
kind of medical plan so that the cost to the patient
is minimal? Is it
because there's some kind of kickback with the
pharmaceutical companies
-
who rake in kazillions in selling drugs? Or is it
because they just
don't
know what else to do?
Mind you I'm not implying that any of the reasons
suggested are true.
I'm
just saying that the possibility exists. I just read
"The Right
Fight", the
new book on Bernie Lord & the NB PC's by Yves Poitras.
A wonderful
read -
sympathetic to both sides of the NB linguistic and
political coin - but
not
===============================================================
41-
Charlie,
I believe kids on Ritalin are not who they are, or
what they could be,
because they are drugged and not using their minds.
What did it do to
you?
And, did it do anything for you? When did you go on it
and why????
Happy New
Year from Doug and I! Regards
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
42-
Dear Charles LeBlanc,
Here is something that I found on the Oprah site. I
typed in Ophra
Winfrey Show and I was able to find these things in
the archives...good
luck
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cecile Delaney thought you might enjoy this page at
Oprah.com:
http://www.oprah.com/health/coping/disorder/health_copedis_explode1.jhtml
================================================================
43-
1) Makes happy active kids-to Zombies
2) Kiddy Cocaine
3) Can become a real problem if snorted or mixed with
another drug
4) Labelling of these poor kids
5) Teachers will not have active students in their
class if not on
ritalin-catch 22
6) They will be classified as Limited by employers
and the Human
Rights
will agree with the employer
7) No help available if they become addicted
8) They have not been prescribing them long enough to
know the long
term
effects except we know that cocaine is their chose of
drug when they
get
older. We know that every pill affects something,
what vital organ or
organs is ritalin affecting.
9) Mind altering drug is NO GOOD
10) Nothing being done by our government to address
the issue so you
Charlie must NEVER go away!
11) The Pharmacutical companies are making way too
much money on
prescription drugs and they are running the show with
their highly
addictive pills and society pays big time for the
children and adults
that
they are ruining.
12) Oprah had a show on ADHD last Wed. and everything
that you say
about
it was said on her show. I was told about this last
night. Check out
the
Oprah site and see if you can find out exactly what
was said about
Ritalin.
=============================================================
44-
Charles-
This is in the National Post January 7, 2005
Health Canada approves new ADHD pill with small liver
damage risk
OTTAWA - Health Canada has approved a new drug for
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that U.S.
regulators warned in rare cases may cause severe liver
damage. Strattera is a non-stimulant drug approved for
use in children six and older, as well as adults. The
drug is promoted as a once-a-day pill that can treat
symptoms of ADHD from morning to bedtime, so children
can avoid the "stigma" of taking a midday dose at
school. "I remember a mother who was very angry that a
teacher announced [her son's] name to go and see the
nurse during the noon hour, and all the kids teased
him later, saying, 'What are you on?' " says Dr.
Atilla Turgay, chief of medical staff and director of
the ADHD clinic, training and research institute at
the Scarborough Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Turgay, one
of the principal investigators in Canadian tests of
the drug, said Strattera is safe and effective. Last
month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised
doctors about the drug's potential side effects
following two reported cases of liver damage in a teen
and an adult who had been taking Strattera for several
months. Both recovered. Strattera has been on the U.S.
market since 2002 and has been prescribed to more than
two million patients. According to Eli Lilly Canada
Inc., no evidence of liver injury was detected in
clinical studies involving about 6,000 patients,
including 200 Canadians.
