POSTED: 11:36 am EDT May 27, 2005
UPDATED: 11:53 am EDT May 27, 2005
Using his personal experiences as a point of reference, actor Tom Cruise is leading a crusade against prescribing anti-depressants and drugs such as Ritalin to treat children.


AP
Tom Cruise
"They said, 'Oh, you know, Ritalin is safe. It's safe. It's safe.' Ritalin is an amphetamine," the "War of the Worlds" star told "Access Hollywood" in an exclusive interview.
Cruise said because of his dyslexia, doctors in the 1970s wanted to put him on medication but his mother refused.
Instead, Cruise sought alternative methods of helping him with his disorder, including Study Tech learning at the Church of Scientology.
Slideshow: Check Out Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Photos
He's now passing the study tech on to others through his work with the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (H.E.L.P.), while continuing his push to get kids off of meds.
"SAT scores have gone right down the toilet," Cruise told "Access Hollywood" co-host Billy Bush. "The parents are blaming the teachers. The teachers are blaming the parents. OK? And the psychs are putting everyone on drugs."
MORE: Read more of Tom Cruise's exclusive interview about Scientology, Katie Holmes, Nicole Kidman and more at AccessHollywood.com