A Strike Against Ritalin
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The state of Connecticut has unanimously passed new legislature that prohibits teachers, counselors and other school officials from recommending ritalin, and other psychiatric drugs, for any child.Many parents have often felt that the school system was trying to medicate their kids in order to make the teachers job easier. The state of Connecticut is the first in the nation to take such steps, a sign that parents and elected officials are beginning to fight back against those that are pushing drugs upon children. According to the article, the law does not prevent teachers or school officials from recommending the child be evaluated by medical doctor, it is intended to see that the first recommendation for the use of drugs comes from a medical doctor. The chief sponsor of the bill, state Rep. Lenny Winkler, an emergency room nurse, stated, "I cannot believe how many young kids are on Prozac, Thorazine, Haldol - you name it." She went on to say, "It's easier to give somebody a pill than to get to the bottom of the problem." According to the article, nearly 20 million prescriptions for ritalin, and other psychotropic stimulants were written last year in the United States - that is a 35 percent increase since 1996. Most of the prescriptions, according to a health care information company, were written for boys under the age of 12. In some U.S. elementary and middle schools, as many as six percent of all students are taking ritalin and/or other psychiatric drugs, according to the federal drug enforcement administration. There certainly is a problem that needs to be addressed. Hopefully other states will follow Connecticuts lead. MSNBC: Law: Only doctors to suggest Ritalin
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