THE NEW YORK POST
RITALIN PUSHER CHANGES HIS TUNE ON SCHOOLS
[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
when there is no disease; when the children are normal,
"pusher," and "scum" are words that apply. With no disease, nothing
about such drug-pushing is legitimate medical care. ]
By DOUGLAS MONTERO
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September 27, 2002 -- WASHINGTON.
A NATIONAL parent group that has been accused of encouraging the
widespread use of Ritalin on behalf of the manufacturer wants
educators to stop pressuring parents to drug their kids.
That startling admission comes as the acting director of the National
Institute of Mental Health said there is a concern that many doctors
across the nation are misdiagnosing kids with attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - which is turning hospitals and clinics
into pill mills. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
CHADD, created for Ciba/Novartis, by
Ciba/Novartis with members of the NIMH ever-present on its
professional advisory board is the number one "pusher" of Ritalin,
indeed of all stimulants. The consistently tell 2 lies: (1) that ADHD
is a disease, and (2) that Ritalin (and all other stimulants) are safe
and not appreciably addictive]
E. Clarke Ross, who heads the 20,000-member group Children and Adults
with ADHD, made the admission just before he testified yesterday
before Congress - which is investigating the out-of-control practice
of schools
medicating children.
"Their job is to teach and [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
to]
observe barriers to learning, not
practice medicine," Ross said.
Ross, who was called before the House Government Reform Committee to
explain why Ritalin is appropriate for kids, also said the drug is
overprescribed in some areas but underprescribed in others. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
as
if there were any schoolchildren for whom such drugs are appropriate;
in whom ADHD as a disease could be validated.]
Ross was blasted on Capitol Hill by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), the
committee chairman, who accused the medical professor [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
he is not
a physician, he is not qualified to diagnose or prescribe]
of being in the pocket of drug lobbyists.
Nearly shouting, he charged Ross with creating an "appearance" that
his organization was compromised, since it received money from drug
companies.
Burton later told The Post he would like to see restrictions on how
health associations are funded.
But Ross denied allegations by advocates and several government
agencies that he's lobbying for Ritalin use - despite the estimated $1
million his organization has received over the past 10 years by Ritalin's
manufacturer.
Burton said 6 million kids in America are taking Ritalin, while
officials with the National Institutes of Health say the number is
only 2 million. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
an absolute lie from the NIH/NIMH]
Regardless, the damage has already been done.
Dr. Richard K. Nakamura, head of the National Institute of Mental
Health, said, "We are concerned about improper diagnoses of ADHD.
[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
Nakamure, like his predecessor, Hyman, knows that ADHD has
never been validated as a disease having, as it must a demonstrable
abnormality within the child/person]
"There's a possibility that physicians are told, 'You have X amount of
time to diagnose XYZ' by their managed-care organization. I believe
physicians are being given too little time and money to properly
diagnose."
He said a proper diagnosis comes with extensive tests to determine
whether a child-behavior or learning disability may be attributed to
other problems, such as autism or dyslexia.
A number of New York parents have complained that many doctors
referred to them by the schools usually spend a mere 45 minutes with
their kids before prescribing Ritalin.
The doctors usually make their diagnoses by looking over a school
evaluation report on the child's behavior, which many say is
subjective and leads to abuse. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
is entirely subjective. There
is no physical abnormality to demonstrate to make diagnosis
objective.]
The complaints from parents last month forced both the state and city
Education departments to issue memos reminding educators that banning
a kid from school because the parents refuse to medicate is a
violation of the rules.
Yet Jill Chafeitz, the executive director of Advocates for Children,
said Wednesday her office is still receiving complaints from parents
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