In every society there has been some level of sociopathic behavior among its youth. This has been true since the events of Cain and Abel. Over the past decades we have seen youth violence rise to horrifying levels. There are many factors that have contributed to this. None more pernicious as the destruction of the American family and lack of moral guidance that results from this.

We are seeing that many of today's offending violent teens were put on various medications as children, many by the force of law. The laws and chemical weapons used to destroy our children and families are as vast an array as the unfounded excuses to use them on our children. We can not ignore these parallel influences in the violent trends in our children today.

Our children are being diagnosed and treated for different types of behavior that are, quite frankly, normal in the child’s growing process. The use of these drugs has now become the general solution used to treat pretty much any issue normal growing children experience. Whether they actually need treatment or not.

We find it difficult to understand how our schools can post large signs claiming to be "Drug Free Zones" when they are dispensing controlled narcotics to the children. They are also threatening parents with legal action, up to and including the confiscation of their children, if they disagree with their recommendations or simply ask for a second opinion.

We have looked long and hard, but could not find one case where a dealer of street drugs has used the threat of confiscation of a child as a means to force a parent to give the drugs they are pushing to their child. Only the most perverse creature of the imagination could have prevaricated such a situation where common criminals display a greater sense of ethics and morality than our tax dollar funded education system and social service providers have.

This senselessness has not been without counter action by clear thinking people. The attempt to pass the "Child Medication Safety Act of 2003" (CMSA) shows there are powerful thinkers on this topic working to resolve the issue. Sadly, that effort nearly failed completely. Although the Child Medication Safety Act did suffer its death in the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), some of its spirit was implanted into The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). But we feel not enough of CMSA was preserved and some the most critical wording from it was lost.

Looking at sections of the two bills we can see the short comings of IDEA in this area of concern.

(25) PROHIBITION ON MANDATORY MEDICATION. IN GENERAL. – The State educational agency shall prohibit State and local educational agency personnel from requiring a child to obtain a prescription for a substance covered by the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) as a condition of attending school, receiving an evaluation under subsection ( a ) or ( c ) of section 614, or receiving services under this title.

SEC. 2. REQUIRED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. (a) IN GENERAL- As a condition of receiving funds under any program or activity administered by the Secretary of Education, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each State shall develop and implement policies and procedures prohibiting school personnel from requiring a child to obtain a prescription for substances covered by section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) as a condition of attending school or receiving services.

SEC. 4. GAO STUDY AND REVIEW. (a) REVIEW- The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of-- (1) the variation among States in definitions of psychotropic medication as used in regard to State jurisdiction over public education; (2) the prescription rates of medications used in public schools to treat children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other disorders or illnesses; (3) which medications used to treat such children in public schools are listed under the Controlled Substances Act; and (4) which medications used to treat such children in public schools are not listed under the Controlled Substances Act, including the properties and effects of any such medications and whether such medications have been considered for listing under the Controlled Substances Act. (b) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and submit a report that contains the results of the review under subsection (a).

What was greatly weakened are the requirements for the states to implement policies and procedures for obeying this law. What was lost are needed studies of the scope of these practices and direct oversight of compliance to the law.

Are We Improving Mental Health Care or Just Drugging Our Kids? This is the question Mark L. Wolraich, MD., addresses in his paper published in, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Volume 155, Number 5, May 2001, whose title bears that very question of the increased use of psychotropic medication on children. Although Dr. Wolraich appears as an advocate of such medication practices, he recognizes the concerns of their overuse on children and the use on children improperly diagnosed for such use.

The great questions are; How much failure of proper use is present in today's practices? How much of these practices amount to fraud? These questions must be answered.

There are unequivocal concerns that must be addressed and resolved associated with the basic practices of medicating our children. How can we permit laws to exist that force parents, under treat of prosecution and loss of their children to comply with such practices? How can we tolerate these types of action to be taken against parents, often for simply requesting a second opinion? These concerns and actions by parents do not even approximate abuse or neglect, they are the normal actions of caring parents striving to do what is best for their children. How could we as a nation have, in effect, outlawed loving and caring for our children?

With the foundation for sane behavior set forth in IDEA, we must see to it the the balance of the spirit of the Child Medication Safety Act becomes the law of the land.

Without this enacted into law, the practice of chemically suppressing children without sound foundation will continue without conscience as to the consequences to our children. The information now available shows that we may very well have created a generation predisposed to drug addiction and addictive behaviors; forced by law and paid for by our tax dollars. Keep in mind the observations that are being made now are of the actions of teenagers who took these drugs as much as eight to ten years ago. From that time to the present the use of psychotropic drugs on our children has skyrocketed.

Each year we spend billions of tax dollars fighting a "War on Drugs." While by force feeding our children addictive drugs, we have effectually created the next generation of clients for the very drug lords we fight daily. We have created this horrible paradox where we are fighting a war on drugs while we spending more tax dollars supporting our own enemy.

Yours truly,

Director
The Center for Children's Justice - Carolinas Chapter
P.O. Box 891
Concord, NC 28025

REFERENCES

1)		Increased Psychotropic Medication Use Are We Improving Mental Health Care or Drugging Our Kids? Mark L. Wolraich, MD Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Volume 155, Number 5, May 2001
2)		Are stimulants overprescribed? Treatment of ADHD in four U.S. communities. Jensen PS, Kettle L, Roper MT, Sloan MT, Dulcan MK, Hoven C, Bird HR, Bauermeister JJ, Payne JD. NIMH, Bethesda, MD 20892-9669, USA. Comment in: J Am Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. 1999 Jul;38(7):797-804 J Am Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. 2000 Mar;39(3):269-70; discussion 270-1 J Am Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. 2000 Mar;39(3):269; discussion 270-1
3)		Pay Attention: Ritalin Acts Much Like Cocaine Brian Vastag Relevancy 0.87 JAMA / volume:286 (page: 905) Pay Attention: Ritalin Acts Much Like Cocaine Brian Vastag August 22/29, 2001