Nexus - 1202 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

author Professor John Balzer said the findings belied the belief Crime and Misconduct Commission: "The abuse of ADHD pre- that Ritalin, known generically as methylphenidate, was short- scription drugs is a potential problem for society, the public health acting." system and law enforcement agencies."" "By issuing psychotropics to children, we do in fact create an In New South Wales, "Concern was expressed, in several sub- interaction between the chemical, the drug, and the developing missions to the inquiry, about school children selling, swapping or organism, and in particular the developing brain, which is the tar- sharing their prescription drugs or medication with other children get organ of a psychotropic." at school".” "Stimulants such as Ritalin and amphetamine have grossly The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of the harmful impacts on the brain—reducing overall blood flow, dis- United Nations has warned of the increasing recreational abuse of turbing glucose metabolism, and possibly causing permanent methylphenidate worldwide.” Recreational use of psychostimu- shrinkage or atrophy of the brain.""” lants has also been associated with other forms of drug addiction The spectre of these negative effects and frequently serves as an easy "first on growth and development is even step" into the world of self-medicating. more ominous in light of the fact that "Elizabeth Wurtzel, writing in the children under the age of six are | Almost more frightening than New York Times of April 1, 2000, says routinely prescribed stimulants, that Ritalin has been a gateway drug for despite specific warnings that they are the potential long-term many with whom she has interacted at not safe for use in children that young. i Narcotics Anonymous meetings, where There have been reports of Australian effects of psychostimulants mothers have admitted stealing Ritalin children as young as 15 to 18 months Is the relatively common prescribed for their kids, and discussed being given prescriptions for "Zombie-like" effect induced her own experience of chopping up psychostimulants, and at the 2003 Ritalin pills and snorting them through Queensland State Youth Conference in children. her ‘nostrils almost continuously'."”” in Mackay one parent reported that The United States Drug Enforcement her doctor suggested her nine-month- Administration (DEA) has spoken old had "ADHD" and needed to be about this problem, saying that "a num- medicated (fortunately she refused). ber of recent studies, drug abuse cases, Almost more frightening than the potential long-term effects of | and trends among adolescents from various sources indicate that psychostimulants is the relatively common "zombie-like" effect methylphenidate use may be a risk factor for substance abuse".* induced in children. Shockingly, two of the leading biopsychi- Tellingly, as reported in the US press: "A recent study by atric advocates in the United States, L. Eugene Arnold and Peter _ researchers at the University of California at Berkeley—a study of S. Jensen, acknowledged the "zombie effect" in their chapter on 500 children over 26 years—found that Ritalin is basically a 'gate- ADHD in the Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry: "The way’ drug to other drugs, in particular cocaine. Lead researcher amphetamine look, a pinched, somber expression, is harmless in Nadine Lambert, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, conclud- itself but worrisome to parents... The behavioral equivalent, the ed that Ritalin 'makes the brain more susceptible to the addictive ‘zombie’ constriction of affect and spontaneity, may respond toa _ power of cocaine and doubles the risk of abuse'."* reduction of dosage, but sometimes necessitates a change of There is widespread acknowledgement, even among staunch drug.""” advocates of the medical model of "ADHD", that there are other The zombie effect has been described by Dr Peter Breggin this forms of "treatment" available, such as family counselling, respite way: "[This] drug-induced docile behavior is caused by care and parenting education. None of these modalities involves chemically blunting or subduing the child's higher brain function. risking the physical well-being of children. Particularly in light of That part of the child's brain requiring creativity, freedom, play, energetic activity, consistent discipline and inspiring —— en educational activities will be blunted." “a2 woupee FO, With the skyrocketing prevalence rates ( ALL THIS WILL GO fy of this "disorder", there is a very real poss wie eee fel bility that we are raising a generation of \ one PAT. . A children whose creativity, thinking and Ay < f spirit are being blunted by drugs without a verifiable medical justification. Almost more frightening than the potential long-term effects of psychostimulants is the relatively common "zombie-like" effect induced in children. The Public Health Issue By classifying psychostimulants as Schedule 8 drugs, the Australian govern- ment obviously intended to restrict their availability. Yet the proliferation of pre- scriptions for "ADHD" has made these psy- chostimulants readily available for recre- ational use on school playgrounds across Australia. The illicit use of ADHD drugs is a major problem in Queensland, as noted by the ff NEXUS + 13 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com