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ADD & ADHD: Epidemic of a Phantom Disease Continued from page 74 on medication, and require reasonable trials About the Author: with other suovested interventions nriar ta Dr Rah laeahe hac haan a childrante About the Author: Dr Bob Jacobs has been a children's advocate for over 30 years as teacher, counsellor, psychologist and attorney. He has a PsyD degree from United States nternational University and a JD degree rom the University of Florida. Among many other activities and roles, Dr Jacobs is presently an Equal Justice Works Fellow and is on the national steering committee for the Children's Rights Network of Amnesty International, USA. His article is based on research he conducted in 2002 in association with he Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (see website http://www.yanq.org.au), as well as on his extensive experience. Dr acobs can be contacted by email at DrBobQA@aol.com. on medication, and require reasonable trials About the Author: with other suggested interventions prior to Dr Bob Jacobs has been a children's initiating the use of stimulant drugs. advocate for over 30 years as teacher, Putting the clamps on the runaway counsellor, psychologist and attorney. ADHD train will not be popular with | He has a PsyD degree from United States parents who in large numbers rely on _ !nternational University and a JD degree stimulants to control their children and from the University of Florida. Among absolve themselves of guilt or many other activities and roles, Dr Jacobs responsibility at the same time. It will not is Presently oo nt the national stesring be popular with teachers who rely on ¢gmmittee for the Children's Rights stimulants to subdue difficult children in Network of Amnesty International, USA. the classroom. It will not be popular with His article is based on research he children's physicians who may not know conducted in 2002 in association with any other way of being helpful in these — the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland situations besides offering stimulant drugs (see website http://www.yanq.org.au), as for behaviour control. It will certainly not Well as on his extensive experience. Dr be popular with the drug companies, which /acobs can be contacted by email at will see any open and honest discussion as DrBobQA@aol.com. a potential threat to their billion-dollar golden goose. This submission is a plea to all con- Editor's Note: Due to space constraints, we have put the cerned individuals to take a hard and an extensive endnotes on our website, honest look at a controversial issue. It is a http://www.nexusmagazine.com, along ° a : with this article. People without Internet plea to protect our children, who cannot access can obtain a copy by sending a protect themselves from these harmful and stamped, self-addressed envelope to needless labels and drugs. Finally, itis a | NEXUS Magazine, PO Box 30, Mapleton plea to celebrate the creativity, spontaneity Qld 4560, Australia. For enquiries, tele- and energy of childhood and to embrace phone +61 (0)7 5442 9280 or your near- the unique beauty of every child. co est NEXUS office. there are too many unknowns, and anyone who claims there is "proof" is not telling the truth. It is bad science to attempt to treat some- thing before we know what it is. Given the acknowledged dangers of stimulant drugs to children, families and society, it is com- mon sense to stop using these drugs until we have identified what, if anything, ADHD really is. We need to: 1) Declare a moratorium on stimulant use until such time as researchers are able to identify a specific organic aetiology for ADHD, show that stimulants are effective in remediating the discovered pathology and show that stimulants are safe for grow- ing children to use in the long term. At the very least, call for an immediate moratori- um on the use of stimulant drugs in chil- dren under six. 2) Ensure that parents and children are fully informed of both sides of the ADHD debate, and require that they both sign meaningful informed consents before receiving any stimulant drugs. 3) Require a review by a child guidance professional prior to beginning any child NEXUS #75 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com