OK…Thanks a lot for all the comments and may Isuggest to you that you take a print out of thisupdate. There are many interesting views in this one. Readit and let me know your overall views on this veryemotional issue??? Of course many refuse to comment onthis issue and that's ok!!! As promise, I am going to email thisupdate to a couple of politicians who will decide ifthe Government should do a study on Ritalin. Starting tomorrow, I will return to my old ways ofwriting my updates. I got to make up for lost time!!..lol
HERE’S THE COMMENTS ON THE ISSUE OF RITALIN!!!!
1-Before getting to Fredericton and meeting CharlesLeblanc I though that Ritalin was a French actor.I learned a lot about Ritalin from Charlie since thatfirst day back in2OO3 and it has help me to understand the possibleside affects of this drug. When it was suggested that one of mygrandchildrenshould be on it, I explained to my daugther what I hadlearned 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,<>
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2-Hi there Charles, There is something not right today there are to manykids on Ritalin. Kids today are so hyper, even kidsthat arenot on Ritalin, kids are so high- strung. So is itthe food that weare eating today our environment? maybe the governmentneeds tolook into this.
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3-Salut Charles,
Oui, je pense que le gouvernement du Nouveau-Brunswickdevrait établir une enquête sur l'utilisation duritalin auprès desenfants.
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4-Charles-I believe the government should study Ritalin usage inthe province, both to gauge its effeteness as aproduct and to investigate whether it is overprescribed.
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5-Charlie-
There is no good long term effects with Ritalin, inmost cases these children that are given Ritalinbecome drug addicts in later life. There needs to bea documented study done and a follow up to see whatgoes on with these children when they grow up and Ithink that they would find that they began a verydangerous cycle by giving the children ritalin as achild.
The government is to blame for all children that wasgiven ritalin as a child and grew up to be a drugaddict. They could of done something and they choseto do nothing and education is the key to fullyunderstand all that is available for the child inneed. It does nothave to be mind altering drugs..........there areother non-stimulantalternatives!
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6-
CharlesWould parents give children cocaine.....of coursenot............but on the other hand parents thinkthat because it comes in a pill form and the doctorsprescribe it that it must be ok............of coursenot because its cocaine in a pill and they are givingit to their children and they will pay later that isfor sure.
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7-I think that the Human Rights Commission's decisionthat "adults who take Ritalin are close to mentalretardation" is totally insane and they really need todo some intensive research with knowledgeable peopleon the subject of ADHD. They are still back in theturn of the century. They should all be replaced!!!!! Doctors have made great scientific discoveries of howthe brain works over the most recent years. Manyadults with ADHD are documented Geniuses and havechanged the world with inventions and discoveries. They are the movers and shakers in our world that getthings done. The HRC people need to open theirbrains...their out dated beliefs sound more like theyhave Mental Retardation!
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8-YES!!!! I AGREE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MOSTDEFINATELY DO A STUDY ON THE ISSUE OF RITALIN!!!!
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9-I most defiantly have views against any one takingdrugs of any kind- if not needed. And there are sideeffects- to any drug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...Kids are facing side effects, at an early age. Theseare not like Grandpa's heart pills>that are moreneeded than the side effects....This is drug addictionto the most vulnerable of people at a youngage,,>>that will make them unhealthy and addicted toworse drugs later on in life...and who cares?????? The government should because the children are thefuture! And, why shouldn't this bestudied????????????????????!!!!!!!!!
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10-Ritalin in and of itself is not necessarily a badthing.For those who actually need the drug. It is a Godsend.The problem begins when we use the drug as a quick fixto 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 whetherphysicians are too quick to take the word of teachersand social workers in diagnosing whether or not a child hasADD/ADHD. Protocols should be put in place and criteria set to determine whether a patient actually has thesedisorders and is a candidate for Ritalin or if thereare someother underlying reasons for their behavioralproblems. If the latter is fond to be true, those problemsshould be dealt with appropriately.
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11-
Hi Charles, as you know, at the present time, Ritalincan only be prescribed by a physician. My backgroundand experience is in Education but as educators, wecould not determine who or how many students received the medication. Are you requesting that a specific committee studythe issue? A committee of course, could not tellphysicians which medications to prescribe. Thesematters are determined by those with expertise in themedical profession. Best Regards, <>=======================================================
12-I think that some one should study more on Ritalin !!
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13-Charles - I agree that a major study should be done of this. Myinformation, anecdotal and from some physicians, isthat Ritalin is way over prescribed.
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14-Charles,
bien sûr qu'il devrait y avoir des études surl'utilisation abusive du Ritalin chez les enfants!Bonne année , Charles!
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15-Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 13:04:22 -0400 (AtlanticStandard Time)From: "Carol Mullin"
To: oldmaison@yahoo.comSubject: Kids on Ritalin
Hi Charles: When you asked me if I would like to beon your update list, I had no idea that I would bebombarded with e-mails every day - and long ones atthat. I am too busy to respond to everything yousend. (Do you not have a job, Charles? Is this allyou do all day?) But this is an important issue andit is commendable that you spend your life fightingthe system and making waves. Too bad more peoplewouldn't get on board to make many voices heard andlistened to. As for myself, I am the quiet type anddon't make much noise, but I also have opinions onthis subject. I run the Fredericton ADHD Education & Support Groupand try to be a good listener. We have speakers somemonths and just chat sessions other months. It isimportant that people dealing with the stress andstruggles of ADHD have others who know what they aregoing through and are able to discuss it with peoplewho truly understand. Nothing is more frustratingthan being told that it is due to bad parentingskills. Sometimes, but not always. It takes a lot ofstrength and patience to parent this type of child. Alot of the parents have it themselves too, so dealingwith their difficult children is quite a challenge!!! Many people with non-ADHD children say "Oh, I knowwhat you are going through, dear. " When in fact, theyhaven't a clue what it is like! "What he/she needs isa good spanking!" Or "you didn't spank them enoughwhen they were little" Like hitting them will makethem grow up to be respectful and loving adults. Whatabout their self-esteem????Oh...I could go on and on!! But back to the subject of Ritalin...YES...THEGOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO AN INTENSIVE STUDY ON THISISSUE!!!! I do agree that too many children are put on Ritalin. An awful lot of them are just hyper and actinappropriately to what society deems as acceptablebehavior. Due to a lot of different reasons, such as: too much sugar in their food and drinks, allergies tocertain foods cause extreme behavior changes, ourfoods are loaded with dangerous chemicals that alterthe body functioning, some families do not have enoughboundaries and structure, some parents do not have agood support system or were abused children themselvesand don't have good parenting skills. These childrenare often put on Ritalin as a solution or Band-Aid,instead of investigating the many possibilities thatcould be causing the problem. There are clinics herethat can test for food allergies, and organic sectionsin our stores for better nutritional choices. We areall being slowly poisoned by our chemical laden foodsupply and breathing in chemical laden air everyday!!! But then on the other side of the issue, are the oneswho truly do have a chemical imbalance in theirbrains. They do have ADHD and they benefit greatlyfrom having the chemical added to their systems tohelp the brain work the way it was intended to. Mostoften it is hereditary or caused by trauma to thebrain. It is unfortunate that in Canada, the testingfor this is very minimal, and ends up being anassumption by the teachers and the medical doctorsbased on behavior and questionaires. In the Statesthere is "brain imaging" that actually shows the waythe brain is working during certain times and undercertain conditions. Tells the doctors what part ofthe brain is malfunctioning due to chemical imbalancesas compared to the imaging of a brain not affected byADHD. Tells about lots of other symptoms as well. Tobad 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 theirbrain can focus, can help them slow down and be likethe other people around them, which in turn gives themmore self-esteem and satisfaction in theirachievements. Many can do things well while on themedication that they could never do before . Helpsthem to concentrate and do well in school, instead ofmost often failing in what they attempt or cannotfinish. It could be the difference between having aparent proud of their child's behavior oraccomplishments, as opposed to having a parent who isalways yelling and unhappy with their child's badbehavior and attitude. They grow up in a negativeatmosphere or a positive one. This can really affectthe way the child matures and what they are like asadults and parents themselves. You may use this in your column with my name attached,if you like. I speak from the heart and I sincerelycare. Carol Mullin, Fredericton ADHD Education & SupportGroup
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16-CharlesI agree with you 100%
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17-Je ne suis pas convaincue que c'est la réponse; lapremière des choses c'est les parents qui décident dedonner le Ritalinaux enfants pas le docteur (le docteur le prescritmais c'est encore lesparents qui ont le dernier mot) ou le gouvernement.Nous sommes tousau courant du danger du Ritalin alors qu'est-cequ'une étudechangerait vraiment?
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18-Charles-As a parent of a child with ADHD, and another childwith autism, I want to comment on the reason whysomeone needs to look at the high prescription use ofRitalin and/or related medications. Ritalin is oftenprescribed quickly, similar to a "knee-jerk" reactionas often by the time parents get to a physician theyare at their wits end. Coupled with this isescalating hyper behaviour at home, and school, wherethe teacher and/or a principal are concerned andsuggest the parent seek medical help in the form ofRitalin. I witnessed it said myself...."there arepills to help with that you know...I think he hasADHD". No teacher, education official, nurse,rehabilitation therapist has the right to diagnoseADHD, let alone be so bold as to say it directly toparents. Only a physician has the right to assess anddiagnose....it is the law! And other professionalsneed to be told to remain within their boundaries.Appropriate assessments need to be done on the childboth psychological and medical. Ritalin is a band-aidand 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 settlethe child, while at the same time parents andprofessionals are teaching the child copingstrategies, and techniques on anger management, etc. The list is exhaustive. Ritalin should only beprescribed after a "double-blind" study is completedto make sure Ritalin would indeed be appropriate. Ritalin does have its place but is needs to be doneallot more judiciously!!!!One must look at why the child is behaving the way heis.....is it diet related(to much refined sugars,etc).....can the child filter out the noise level inthe classroom which causes him not to hear what theteacher is saying, therefore increases frustration and negative behaviour, in this case an FM System maybe needed, audiologly may need to get involved todetermine if the child has a Central AuditoryProcessing Disorder....does he have the social skillsto make friends, if not he needs to learn theseskills....what is the home-life like, is there a poorfamily situation, do the parents argue in front of thechildren, are the parents/parent spending time withtheir child. The television is not aparent....parents needs to get involved in theirchild'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.....getthe family time happening. Praise your child and helpbuild up their self-esteem, which by now is very lowand they consider themselves "stupid". People can saywhat they will.....but the family unit is in troublein today's "quick" society and these children are aresult of that.Is there a problem with the over-use of Ritalin...YES. Should the Government study this issue...YES. IfRitalin and related medications are notprescribed/used properly....it is definitely thestepping stone to further drug addictions for theseindividuals. In New Brunswick we have a problem!!!! So people get your heads out of the sand an startdealing with this problem. It is bigger than youthink.
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19-I think that ritalin alters who a child is, it's aserious thing when a doctor prescribes drugs for achild. If you aren't happy with the child that yougave birth to, then perhaps you should never have hadchildren at all. It's no human beings place to alter achild that god created.
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20-I understand there are drugs in the market, andextensively used, whose side effect include suddendeath. That should take care of any health problems,permanently. There is indeed need for lot more scrutiny ofpharmaceutical companies than currently exists.
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21-what do u have against Ritalin?? It has helped manychildren and families.
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22-
Charlie-I agree that a study should be undertaken on theissue of Ritalin prescriptions being given tochildren.There is too much of this going on and it seems tousually be based on a teacher's information to adoctorwho then prescribes the drug. One answer would be formore teachers and/or teacher's aides to be hired butweknow that's not going to happen. The class sizes areprobably too large for one teacher to handle so ifthereis a child with ADHD, or even a child who's a littleover active, the way they get around it is to drug thechild. I don't blame just the teachers. Doctors toohave to be responsible in this issue. Drugs are tooeasily handed out these days - that includespenicillinwhich is given for almost anything now and in myopinionwhen a severe infection develops later on the drugwillhave to be stronger and better to fight the infection.An immunity is built up after so many times beingprescribedand it just won't work that well anymore.Another problem of course is that there are so manyhouseholdswith either both parents working or it is a singleparent homewhere that parent has to work long hours or two jobsjust tomake ends meet. That leaves little spare time tospend withkids who desperately need supervision, coordinatingtheiractivities, and maybe just quiet time with a parentjusttalking or reading a book. People just seem too busyto spendtime where it's needed with their kids and they dependonteachers to fill that need.All this is very easy for me to say because I don'thave kidsmyself but I do have brothers and sisters who havekids and Isee how hard it is for them to find the time needed tonurturethe kids and spend "quality time" with them.Anyway, I'm starting to rant a bit. Bottom line -there is adefinite need for a study on the issue of Ritalin.
HAPPY NEW YEAR CHARLIE.
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23-yes they should study our children and grandchildren,these are our future.
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24- Hi there….
I would like to present an alternative question foryour consideration. why not have the members of parliament tested for addand adhd? I am sure thatamong the pill-pushers of the medical community youcould find at least one tocertify that the elected members who talk during thesession while others arespeaking are obviously in need of drugs to be able toconcentrate. and thosewho get up and walk around or send notes out to othersare visibly interferingwith the attention of others in the chamber, so theytoo must be narcotizedinto correct behavior. after all, is the definition of adhd merely that theperson is not payingattention to other persons? most particularly, anyperson who is notconcentrating on a self-important person is judged tobe lacking in mentalskills, demonstrating a lack of social skills andgenerally exhibiting aninability to learn from instruction. I am sure that a camera placed in the media gallery ofthe house would provideall the necessary proof of the existence of thisscourge in our society whichmust be eradicated at all costs, even if the societyis destroyed in theprocess.
I find it difficult to answer the question of whystudy the issue of Ritalin.the facts of the issue are not at issue, there is asufficient amount ofhistory and accumulated knowledge to warrant thefurther investigation of boththe drug itself and the application of the drug. thatthere exists publicoutcry in more than one country and language by itselfshould provide thenecessary impetus to at least question thecircumstances of the use of thedrug.unfortunately, the issue of Ritalin is one which willopen more questions thanthe elected and un-elected leaders wish to see inpublic. given that the issueof Ritalin is a school issue, investigating the use ofRitalin will call intoquestion the structure of the education system, andmore importantly, willbring to the general public the worst question thatcould be raised: what isthe purpose of the education system? it is in theanswering of this questionthat the answer to the problem of Ritalin exists. Clarifying the function of the education system interms of the society ingeneral will cause unrest in the taxpaying, votingpublic. this is something noelected official wants under any circumstance. there are 3 or 4 major functions in society which theschool system is directlyresponsible for. the most obvious is the knowledgewhich is imparted, howeverimperfectly. the second is the knowledge ofmanipulating knowledge, or wisdom,if you like.the largest area of the education system is theimparting of social values tothe new generations of participants. it is here thatwe see the use of Ritalin,unchecked, will effectively eliminate any desire inthe voting public toquestion any person of authority or responsibility.any person who is judged tobe a threat will, and are, forced to take drugs toeffectively remove them fromparticipation in the society as a functioning memberof that society. this works in many ways: by virtue of the drug itselfthe mental abilities ofthe person will be reduced. the existence of the drugwill then cause the lossof social privileges, and the forced paternalismtoward the takers of the drugby the well-meaning and others with less generousintentions.a more insidious problem is also becoming evident:social ostracisation of thetakers of the drug. even thought the drug is medicallyprescribed, the taker islabeled as "defective", so any opinion or decision orpolitical statement isdiscounted because the person is a taker of "thatdrug". no group will wantthose with that prescription to be a part of theirgroup on the grounds thatparticipation will reflect badly or negatively on thegroup and its objectives.this circumstance is already being related ashappening to many studentseverywhere where the drug is used in the schoolsystem.as you can see from the foregoing, answering thequestion "why avoid the studyof Ritalin" is a lot easier to answer. the issue of Ritalin joins other issues which thegovernment does want in thepublic eye: why can little johnny not read? where isthe oversight on the powercommission? why are the civil service positionsexpanding faster than the risein population? where are the graduates of the highschools living now, and whyis there no opportunity for them in New Brunswick? whyhave all the governmentjob creation agencies failed? I am sure that there are other questions which havethe same characteristics asthe Ritalin issue. health care is supposedly apriority for every electedparty, yet the number of hospital beds and nursingstaff, etc is decreasing.welfare is designed to maintain the recipients in thesystem and punishes thosewho try to get an education to better themselves. and a related question about social responsibility:when was the last time acivil servant was convicted of receiving bribes andsent to jail? when was thelast time a scandal erupted over inappropriateexercise of authority by a civilservant? is New Brunswick so perfect that these thingsdo not happen here?
i hope that this will answer your question andpossibly provide you with someperspective about the problem. never mind that theissue needs to be studiedfor the future well-being of the citizens of newbrunswick, or that the socialstructure is being undermined, or that a large numberof voters are unhappy andneed to be paid attention to, or that the response ofthe civil service is outof proportion to the question, or that thecondescending attitude of theelected members is nauseating to the general publicwho read and think, or thattaxpayer money is being spent on items which thetaxpayers deem to beincorrect, ..........have a happy new year, and keep up the good work!!!!
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25-The government should not do a study on Ritalin.First, the kind of formal studies you're asking for cost a fortune and nothingever comes of them. More importantly, though, Ritalin is not the scourgeyou say it is. It may be that it is being prescribed for some children whodon't need it, but it is an absolute godsend for many. A child I know washad her life totally changed for the better by her diagnosis of ADHD andthe prescription of Ritalin. She was unable to concentrate all throughelementary school, which meant she did terrible in school. This made her feelstupid, and it caused other kids to make fun of her and call her names. Oneyear after her prescription, she's getting As and had lots offriends, and is sooo relieved to learn she's not stupid aftert all, but has atreatable 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 disruptivein class. He's learning nothing, and the other kids aren't learningmuch either, because the teacher has to spend most of her time trying tocontrol the poor child. This child is unable to focus or sit still, andmedication will help him get an education, and help the other 21 kids in his classget the education they deserve.
My point: maybe it's true that some kids are beingmedicated who don't need it, but some children DO need it! You're not doingthem any favours by saying bad things about the medicine they need!
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26-
The question is not why a study should be done, butwhether a study isnecessary! The Government and medical agencies arewell aware of thenumbers. For more than a few years experts andarticles have stated thatmedication is being used on many children when itreally isn't needed.Information is what is needed - what kind of behaviouris sufficient towarrant Ritalin or other calming medications and whatkind of behaviour canbe changed by other measures. Unfortunately in thisworld where both parentsmust work (in many cases) it seems impossible thatbehaviour modificationmethods could be used satisfactorily and when neededso we come down to theuse of mind altering medications. I believe that doctors must be the first tounderstand the problem, ifthere is a problem, and they must be the ones to startthe ball rolling withmore and better information getting to the parents andteachers who mustcontend with disruptive behaviour at home and in theclassroom. So...is a study really necessary or should the'powers that be' just getoff their duffs and do the right thing!
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27-I am not sure if it should be "government" - after allit is us who alwayspays to have the "government" in EVERY aspect of ourlives- but anyimpartial body would be good---after all the companiescan't do it honestlyand many doctors won't give up the bonus'----we doneed a 3rd party tostudy Ritalin because it is a DRUG that we are notcompletely sure of, andparents are at the wits end for help---so it is Ritalin we need to study or put time andour money into studyingother therapies for these families---I say scr*wRitalin and let's study thepossible benefits of other therapies and causes andmaybe other drugs(MAYBEsomething natural)...
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28- I taught that I would add this little comment--
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29-Happy New Year Charles, Personally, I think there should be a study donewithin the province on ALL prescription drugs. Ritalin is one that needs tochecked into, but there are several others that seem to be overprescribed as well.<>
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30-I hear you loud and clear CharlesI agree with you.See ya!
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31-Charlie,j'aimerai en discuter davantage avec notrecritique qui est Roly McIntyre. Ma position personnel a toujours eteque ta requete devrait etre adresse pour finalement avoir l'heurejuste sur toute la grande question du ritalin.Salut bien,
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If something is not done these children, who areprescribed Ritalin indiscriminately, will grow up tobe drug addicts. Some may commit crimes to supporttheir addiction and others may be suicidal. Many ofthese children who can become productive andcontributing members of society will simply end upbeing burden on society. A great human cost, tragedyand cost to society. That is why there is an urgentneed to study the issue of Ritalin.
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33-The government should study Ritalin to make surethat they are not overprescribing this drug in order to maintain controlover kids. Also toestablish probable facts explaining why this drug isthe best solutionin order to assure the public. We need to make sureit is not an easy,simple way out in dealing with "hyper" children. Weneed to make surethat they are following procedures to determine if itis indeed the bestmedication. Also, we could develop other solutions todeal with thisissue such as spending more time with our children atthe parc insteadof in front of a television. Many people say thatRitalin has helpedtheir children dramatically and they couldn't dowithout Ritalin andothers are completely opposed to it so it's a verysensitive subject. Ithink we have just become too busy as a society thatwe have lost focuson the important things such as spending more timebuilding arelationship with our children and parenting them. Itseems that it hasbecome a bigger problem in our generations as opposedto ourgrandparents. How were they dealing with ADHD? IfADHD was not a bigproblem as it is now, maybe we should ask ourselves,is it the way welive our lives? Is it a question of lacking attentionfrom busyfamilies, neglecting families, I dunno. I am not theperson to judgebecause I have not done any research on this subjectnor have I beenaround children who have ADHD but I hope that thisissue can be lookedat, studied and resolved once and for all.
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34-Charles-10,000 signatures on your petition should mean 10,000reasons to startwith!
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35-Non-Stimulant medication called Strattera should beconsidered for allchildren and adults with ADD/ADHD and the eliminationof ritalin should bestrongly considered with this new drug
Family support/counselling/education should beavailable to families goingthrough hard times with children with ADD/ADHD to tryand avoid bitternessin later years developed by living with a child withadd/adhd. This wouldhelp many families.
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36-
Why study Ritalin use in NB?1. How many kids are on Ritalin purely on the say soof their teacher?2. How many kids are on Ritalin that don't need tobe?3. How many Ritalin kids are just behaviour problemsthat the systemdoesn't have the resources to help appropriately?4. How many Ritalin kids are missing out on thepositives of ADHD?5. How many non-ADHD kids are being denied progressbecause they areunlucky enough to be in a class with some "integrated" ADHD kids?6. Double blind studies are a must to get a properdiagnosis of ADHD.This program exists in Nova Scotia, why not here?
I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't bringthem to the surfaceright now. I am a pharmacist, so I see both sides ofthe coin. I see kidsand adults who have no business being on Ritalin, butI also see people Whoshould be seeking treatment but who are afraid ofbeing labeled. It'sshameful to see but true.
Good Luck Charlie,
<>
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37-
Our kids, our future, Ritalin is not the answer
Not everyone who is given Ritalin has add/adhddisorder
More education needed by all parties concerned
Too much time goes by with nothing done and its betterlate then never
Our Children are more important then the dogs,insurance, etc that getstudied
Children who take Ritalin lose their appetite, someare malnutrition andthey do not even know it. They can skip meals andthey do not even feelhungry.
I think that they need to find another way to teachchildren with add/adhdbecause they are at the last resort and this does nothave to be.
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38-Charles…1. Side effects such as an enlarged heart......somedeaths...... 2. Zombie like personalities.. 3. Excess drug use when they reach their teens...andinto adulthood.... 4. Lazy Teachers and parents should be studied fortaking the easy way out.... and Charles you ought to write a documentary book onit
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39-CHARLES, Happy New Year to you and all your readersRegards<> I decided to add another one…..
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40-Although Ifeel for kids with sore stomachs, unfortunately manydrugs have unpleasantside-effects.
However, MANY drugs are far too easily prescribed. Maybe the study shouldbe on the reasons that medical practitioners are soquick to prescribestuff. Is it because they have too many patients andcan't take the time tocarefully diagnose? Is it because the doctors knowmost people have somekind of medical plan so that the cost to the patientis minimal? Is itbecause there's some kind of kickback with thepharmaceutical companies -who rake in kazillions in selling drugs? Or is itbecause they just don'tknow what else to do?
Mind you I'm not implying that any of the reasonssuggested are true. I'mjust saying that the possibility exists. I just read"The Right Fight", thenew book on Bernie Lord & the NB PC's by Yves Poitras. A wonderful read -sympathetic to both sides of the NB linguistic andpolitical coin - but not
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41-Charlie,I believe kids on Ritalin are not who they are, orwhat 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 itand why???? Happy NewYear from …… Regards
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42-Dear Charles LeBlanc,
Here is something that I found on the Oprah site. Ityped in Ophra Winfrey Show and I was able to find these things inthe archives...good luck
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I thought you might enjoy this page atOprah.com:http://www.oprah.com/health/coping/disorder/health_copedis_explode1.jhtml
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43-1) Makes happy active kids-to Zombies
2) Kiddy Cocaine
3) Can become a real problem if snorted or mixed withanother drug
4) Labeling of these poor kids
5) Teachers will not have active students in theirclass if not onRitalin-catch 22
6) They will be classified as Limited by employersand the Human Rightswill agree with the employer
7) No help available if they become addicted
8) They have not been prescribing them long enough toknow the long termeffects except we know that cocaine is their chose ofdrug when they getolder. We know that every pill affects something,what vital organ ororgans is Ritalin affecting.
9) Mind altering drug is NO GOOD
10) Nothing being done by our government to addressthe issue so youCharlie must NEVER go away!
11) The Pharmaceutical companies are making way toomuch money onprescription drugs and they are running the show withtheir highlyaddictive pills and society pays big time for thechildren and adults thatthey are ruining.
12) Oprah had a show on ADHD last Wed. and everythingthat you say aboutit was said on her show. I was told about this lastnight. Check out theOprah site and see if you can find out exactly whatwas said about Ritalin.
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44-Charles-
This is in the National Post January 7, 2005
Health Canada approves new ADHD pill with small liverdamage riskOTTAWA - Health Canada has approved a new drug forattention deficit hyperactivity disorder that U.S.regulators warned in rare cases may cause severe liverdamage. Strattera is a non-stimulant drug approved foruse in children six and older, as well as adults. Thedrug is promoted as a once-a-day pill that can treatsymptoms of ADHD from morning to bedtime, so childrencan avoid the "stigma" of taking a midday dose atschool. "I remember a mother who was very angry that ateacher announced [her son's] name to go and see thenurse during the noon hour, and all the kids teasedhim later, saying, 'What are you on?' " says Dr.Atilla Turgay, chief of medical staff and director ofthe ADHD clinic, training and research institute atthe Scarborough Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Turgay, oneof the principal investigators in Canadian tests ofthe drug, said Strattera is safe and effective. Lastmonth, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration adviseddoctors about the drug's potential side effectsfollowing two reported cases of liver damage in a teenand an adult who had been taking Strattera for severalmonths. Both recovered. Strattera has been on the U.S.market since 2002 and has been prescribed to more thantwo million patients. According to Eli Lilly CanadaInc., no evidence of liver injury was detected inclinical studies involving about 6,000 patients,including 200 Canadians.
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45-I certaintly am against medication for young children.When we were growing up if we were hyper we were sentout to play and wespent all our energy playing. Also, we weredisciplined when we werebad.
So a study on Ritalin is a start hopefully more can bedone.
Sorry it took so long to answer
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46-Sorry man, I've been away and pretty busy. I reallydon't know much aboutritalin, that's your area of expertise. I wouldassume that a study ofritalin would be part of a larger study, soprescription medicine, not tomention nutrition and exercise in schools. I thinkit's criminal thatchildren are kept in a seat for eight hours every day. Personally, apartfrom reading and writing and basic math I can't thinkof anything worthwhileI got out of public education. The montissori schoolsare big here, I don'tknow why public schools don't get more curricula fromthem.
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47-Hi Charles, In reply to your request for input on Kids andRitalin, I have forwarded to you an email to BernardRichard written when he was working on the issue. The pharmaceutical industry and the biomedical modelof medicine is so strong that too many people arewritten off and labelled without getting a truediagnosis, or a fair hearing. Please keep up your fine work Charles, Hi Bernard, I hope that things are going well for you these days. You and your staff are doing an excellent job ofraising the profile of the Ombudsman's Office. Thanks to your office for putting the issue of RITALINusage on the map recently in New Brunswick. YesterdayI was able to listen to the Maritime Noon phone in onADHD/RITALIN, along with your interview just beforethe show. And I going to review CANADAEAST.COM tolook at background. Our children and drugs...this is an incrediblyimportant issue in my view, for the public toentertain informed debate upon. The pharmaceuticalindustry and medical model are very powerful andalternatives of all sorts must be explored andpromoted continuously for a balanced medical caremodality to be in place. If this issue continues to grow in interest to youroffice and the public, I would be very happy to try tolocate experts with particular views which might bebeneficial in the debate or to contribute to thiseffort in any way possible. As we discussed last year during a time of protests ofvarious "neurological and mental causes" at theLegislature, there is a commonality which must beunderstood and explored. I personally think that theLegislature through committee work could look atRitalin/ ADHD as a starting point to examine our viewson medical care for New Brunswickers. I have been focussing a lot lately on educatingpoliticians regarding my issues of concern and amongother things have been invited to present to theSelect Committee on Health Care in the future and towrite a proposal for politicians to consider onvarious alternative means of achieving good resultswith our "mentally ill". I am an optimist whobelieves citizen engagement can bring a better worldand that we live in a time of potential health reformopportunity. Time will tell. Please keep up the good work Bernard and my colleaguesand I look forward to being of any service possible tothe benefit of the citizens of New Brunswick. Sincerely,
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48-
Hi, Charles,
One of my concerns about ritalin is the tendency ofsome teachers to suggest its use toparents. Teachers have no medical or otherspecialized training to diagnose conditionssuch as ADHD nor should they be prescribing treatment. A teacher's role, it seems tome, ought to be to describe the behaviour they see tothe parents and any trainedprofessionals who might be helping to diagnose andtreat the child. It is notappropriate for teachers to diagnose or prescribetreatment.
All the best,
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49-why are people concerned about Ritalin?how many children are on it? how much does it cost?has NB studied outcomes?are there better, cheaper ways to help these children?smaller classes? one-on-one?do parents know the effect of diet on behaviour? why do we have this increase in problem children:ADHD, autism, FAS ?
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50-You are a unique and special voice to the conscienceof the decision makers you have many valuable points which should betaken into consideration. <>
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51-I know you've got lots to do, but I'd be interested infinding out just howmany 'government studies' are going on in the area ofpublic health. I'mguessing darn few.
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52-Ritalin prescription rate raises questionsWebPosted Mar 10 2004 11:19 AM EST
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's ombudsman thinks it'stime for a review of Ritalin use in New Brunswickafter new figures show a nearly 30 per cent increasein prescriptions of the drug for hyperactive children.
The growth of Ritalin use in New Brunswick is barelyhalf the national average, but ombudsman BernardRichard is adding his voice to those who havequestions the drug's use in Canada.
Bernard Richard Ritalin is most popular drug prescribed for childrenwith attention problems or hyperactivity.
Richard thinks the legislature's health or educationcommittees should look at whether doctors are tooquick to prescribe the drug. "There's a reflex outthere that if you're faced with that kind of student,that they should be taking Ritalin."
The use of prescription drugs in Canada is tracked bya company called IMS Health.
Its latest numbers show there were more than 47,000prescriptions for Ritalin or dexedrine in NewBrunswick last year. That's 27 per cent higher thanfive years ago.
The national growth rate was much higher – 46 per cent– but Richard says it would be valuable for alegislature committee to examine all the informationin detail.
He's considering making that a formal recommendationin his next annual report.
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53
Teachers back idea for Ritalin study WebPosted Mar 12 2004 07:46 AM EST
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick teachers are endorsingthe idea of a government-ordered study of Ritalin usein New Brunswick, despite the objections of HealthMinister Elvy Robichaud.
Provincial Ombudsman Bernard Richard raised concernsabout the amount of Ritalin prescribed in theprovince. He's concerned that prescriptions forchildren with attention or hyperactivity problems haveincreased 27 per cent in the last five years.
From March 9, 2004: Ritalin prescription rate raisesquestions
Richard said the legislature's health or educationcommittee should investigate Ritalin use in theprovince earlier this week. The New Brunswick MedicalSociety supports his idea, and now Brian Bawn of theNew Brunswick Teachers' Association is backing theidea of a study, too.
"I don't think it's ever bad to look at an issue,"Bawn says. "Obviously the number of children onmedication is increasing and finding out what thereason for that is never a bad thing."
Despite the increasing interest in such a study,Health Minister Elvy Robichaud says government has noplace investigating what's happening in doctors'offices around the province. Robichaud says it's up tothe medical community to make sure the drug is beingprescribed properly.
"Personally, I feel it's their responsiblity. Theymight try to throw the ball to somebody else, but it'sstill a medical act," he says. "Personally, I don'tget involved in a medical act. If you have a cold, Idon't tell the doctor what to prescribe."
The legislature's health committee is currentlydealing with two matters: One is to develop a charterof rights and responsibilities for patients and theother looks at who is responsible for discipliningworkers in the various health professions.
