The Anti-ADHD/ Anti
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Transcript The Anti-ADHD/ Anti
The Anti-ADHD/ Anti-Ritalin
Movement
History and Discussion
Mary Brinkmeyer
Recent Events
Statistics and
Controversies
The Critics
Recent events
1999: Colorado State Legislature holds
hearings on psychotropic medications and
school violence
Speakers include members of “watchdog”
Scientology groups
Recent Events
1999 Colorado State School
Board passes resolution
cautioning against use of
psychotropic meds
Original intent of resolution
was to ban Ritalin
Cover of The Boulder
Weekly, 2001
2000: Class Action Lawsuits
Filed against APA, CHADD, and Novartis
(formerly Ciba-Geigy)
Alleged conspiracy to promote ADHD
diagnosis for purpose of maintaining
psychotropic drug industry.
Alleged cover-up of dangers of Ritalin
Lawsuits eventually dismissed.
2001-2003: State Bans on Schools
Recommending Ritalin
CT, VA, CO pass laws
prohibiting educators from
recommending psychotropic
medications
CT, UT state that refusing to
give children psychotropic
medications is not medical
neglect
Child Med. Safety Act of 2003
May 2003: Passed by House 425 to 1
Requires states “to develop and implement policies
and procedures prohibiting school personnel from
requiring a child…to obtain a prescription for a
controlled substance.”
Requires tracking of prescription rates for ADHD
meds
Opposed by American Psychiatric Association,
American Academy of Pediatrics, CHADD,
National Association for Mentally Ill.
Stimulant Statistics: Cause for
Concern?
500% increase since 1991 in ADHD prescriptions
Preschool ADHD meds tripled from 1990-1995.
In past 15 years:
311% increase in kids 15-19 taking ADHD meds
170% increase in kids 5-14 taking ADHD meds
Methylphenidate manufactured 2 ½ times the rate
of a decade ago
11 million prescriptions written each year
2000 profits for stimulants = $758,000,000
The New York Times, The Drug Enforcement Administration, Education World
Stimulant Statistics: Cause for
Concern?
Methylphenidate Consumption (Defined Daily Dose in millions)
Drug Enforcement Administration
Over-diagnosis and overprescription?
Jensen’s 1992 survey of stimulant use in selected
regions found only 12.5% of ADHD kids treated
with stimulants.
LeFever’s 1995 survey of VA schoolchildren
found rates of medication 2-3 times higher than
expected, with 20% of 5th grade white boys
taking ADHD meds. Rates much lower for girls
and black children.
Over-diagnosis and overprescription?
Angold’s 1992-1996 survey of rural NC
children found almost twice as many kids on
stimulants (7%) as met DSM-III ADHD
criteria. Stimulant meds more common in
comorbid ODD kids.
Bussing (2003) found poverty and minority
status negative predictors of receiving any tx
for ADHD.
Methylphenidate Abuse
Can be abused in following
ways:
Orally (more common when
used to stay awake)
Crushing and snorting tablets
or dissolving in water and
injecting (used to produce
euphoria)
Methylphenidate Abuse: 2002 Stats
Drug
Grade
Ritalin
%
Alcohol
%
Cocaine
%
Heroin
%
MDMA
%
Pot
%
8th
3
39
2
1
3
15
10th
5
60
4
1
5
30
12th
4
72
5
1
7
36
Monitoring the Future National Survey of 420 Schools
Methylphenidate Abuse
1993-1999 American Association of Poison
Control Centers reported 759 cases of
methylphenidate abuse in kids ages 10-19
brought to ER.
Most not prescribed the drug
Number of cases increased over time
Most not admitted, and medical outcomes good.
Klein-Schwartz & McGrath, 2003
Methylphenidate:
A Gateway Drug?
4-year study of boys ages 15-19
56 medicated ADHD, 19 un-medicated ADHD,
137 controls
Rates of substance use disorder at 4-year follow
up significantly higher for un-medicated ADHD
Suggested “protective” effect of ADHD meds.
Biederman et al., 1999
CHADD: The 1995 Merrow
Report (PBS) Expose
CHADD receiving hundreds of thousands in
funding from Ciba-Geigy
No mention of this in brochures, educator’s
manual, fact sheets, etc.
CHADD: The Merrow Report
No mention of Ciba-Geigy link in CHADD video
distributed using grant from US Dept. of Education
Dept of Ed officials not aware of Ciba-Geigy link.
Video showed parents highly praising Ritalin without
identifying themselves as CHADD leaders.
Video distributed when CHADD’s fight for decontrol of
Ritalin heating up.
CHADD: The Merrow Report
UN International Narcotics Control Board
expressed concern.
Two days after Merrow Report aired, Dept of Ed
pulled video.
CHADD: Current Status
Still receive 17% of funding from pharmaceutical
industry (2002 report)
Acknowledge this on publicly-published financial
report (not that easy to find)
Discuss commitment to ethics and not allowing
contributions to influence policy and statements
Discuss importance of psychosocial interventions
The Critics: The Good, the Bad,
and the Nutty
Concerned Practitioners
Lawrence Diller: Running on Ritalin (1998)
Behavioral pediatrician and family therapist who
regularly prescribes Ritalin
Worries Ritalin is “easy solution” for often
complicated situations
Raises concerns about ADHD being
misdiagnosed.
Concerned Practitioners
Peter Breggin, Talking Back to Ritalin
Psychiatrist, opposes all psychotropic
medications for kids
Argues ADHD not biologically-based, drugs are
cop-out for parents, doctors, and teachers
Says meds “crush a child's desire to socialize, to play,
to escape, to be full of stuff like kids are”
Often testifies at anti-Ritalin hearings
Scientologists
Scientologists have opposed psychiatry and
psychology since failed to accept founder L. Ron
Hubbard’s theory of “dianetics” in 1960s.
Main anti-psychiatry arm: Citizen’s Commission
for Human Rights (CCHR).
Celebrity spokespeople: Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie
Presley, Kelly Preston, Juliette Lewis, Jenna
Elfman, Issac Hayes.
CCHR: Selected Publications
Psychiatry Betraying & Drugging Children - Harming
Lives
Psychiatry Destroying Religion - Creating Evil
Psychiatry's Betrayal - Creating Racism
Psychiatry Victimizing The Elderly - Denying Respect
Psychiatric Rape - Betraying Women
Psychiatry Eradicating Justice - Creating Crime
Psychiatry Destroying Morals - Creating Chaos
Scientologists
Dr. Fred Baughman (neurologist): leading
speaker for CCHR
Website www.adhdfraud.com
Frequently quoted by anti-ADHD activists
without acknowledgement of Scientology
connection
Main proponent of conspiracy theory.
Proponents of Alternative
Therapies
Hundreds of books on
treating ADHD without
drugs.
Range from fairly sound
behavioral principles to diets,
supplements, exercise, etc.
Rarely include any empirical
data.
Questions, Discussion