First Ritalin, then cocaine - CCHR

Published Mar 21, 2009

Share

By Fiona Gounden

Thousands of South African children who may have been wrongly diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are using a popular Schedule 7 medication could grow up to be cocaine junkies.

This is according to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an organisation dedicated to investigating and exposing psychiatric violations of human rights. It comprises a panel of doctors, psychiatrists, paediatricians and other medical experts and it is staging an exhibition in Durban.

CCHR spokesman Solly Kgasoane said the group wanted to warn people about the dangers of psychiatric drugs as well as the industry practice of creating "mental disorders to expand the market for these potentially dangerous drugs".

Many health professionals say Ritalin is an effective drug for genuine cases of ADHD, however they are concerned about the consequences if children are not diagnosed properly.

Childline South Africa is worried that parents may be resorting to "quick fixes" and has urged them to rather focus on having their children assessed properly and finding alternative ways to manage their behaviour.

CCHR is putting together a panel and filing a lawsuit against a prominent Durban medical practitioner who it claims has been negligent when prescribing Ritalin to children.

CCHR believed that protocols were not being followed when testing and diagnosing children with ADHD and, as a result, were misdiagnosed, Kgasoane said.

"Our panel will question schools as well as psychiatrists about the dangers of prescribing scheduled drugs.

"These drugs are so dangerous they can lead to suicide.

"Psychiatrists and paediatricians are pushing drugs to children and the unsuspecting public," stated Kgasoane.

Many parents whose children were on Ritalin and similar types of psychiatric drugs were in despair, he said.

"They don't want to drug their children, but don't know where to turn to for help without the use of drugs," said Kgasoane.

"When these children grow up, they are forced to 'support' their addiction with drugs like cocaine."

He said certain psychiatrists had invented disorders for which to prescribe drugs, which resulted in patients being unaware of their surroundings.

The exhibit covers topics of psychiatry and its history since the 1800s to today as well as its evolution in society.

There are 13 panels with seven video documentaries on what CCHR considers the intrusion of psychiatry in normal life.

The exhibit shows videos of a spate of school shootings in the US, making the claim that most of the perpetrators were either on, or suffering withdrawal from, powerful drugs such as Ritalin.

Many of them were forced to use cocaine to deal with their addiction, the CCHR claims.

The videos show how a 15-year-old, who was reportedly taken off Ritalin, shot and killed several of his classmates, and how another 17-year-old shot 13 classmates and a teacher.

A study in the US found that teachers were forcing pupils to take this medication because they were told to do so, according to the organisation's video.

Because of the exhibition, CCHR had received many queries from parents who wanted to get their children off Ritalin, Kgasoane said.

One parent told them that her eight-year-old daughter had been on several drugs after being diagnosed with ADHD, he said.

The mother said they were told that their daughter had to take Ritalin and it was only after she attended the exhibition that she realised there was hope for another solution.

Childline's Joan van Niekerk said there had to be a proper assessment of the child before any high-schedule drugs could be prescribed.

"With the pressures of everyday life, many parents may not be able to ensure that their children are properly assessed. Parents may be using Ritalin as a quick fix whereas they should be spending more time analysing ways in which to manage the child's behaviour.

"While we are not anti-Ritalin, we encourage parents to avoid resorting to medication. It may be necessary in some cases, but not all. There are other ways in which to address the behaviour of a child," Van Niekerk said.

People needed to know the truth about the dark side effects of such drugging, said Dr Anwar Jeewa of Minds Alive, who is working with the CCHR.

"The psychiatric drugs are prescribed instead of (people) sorting out the problems of social ills caused by the environment and life.

"They numb the pain and senses and make matters worse, turning people into zombies.

"The exhibit is an eye-opener and raises the awareness (about) the dangers of drugging.

"(People) will learn that there are other options of treatments that exist and work," said Jeewa.

"I commend CCHR for coming forward and exposing the truth, so normal people do not end up unnecessarily drugged for problems that can be handled in other ways."

Dr Fred Taylor, a paediatrician who used to work in Australia and now has a practice in Hillcrest, said Ritalin would be dangerous if not used specifically for children with ADHD.

"Ritalin is a highly effective drug used to treat children with ADHD.

"But there may be some paediatricians who do not diagnose the disorder properly and they put the child on Ritalin based purely on assumption," according to Taylor.

"When a child reaches puberty, it can cause some problems, especially if they develop a dependency on it."

Martin Reddy, a Chatsworth pharmacist, said the drug had serious effects if not prescribed "out of necessity".

"Ritalin can be a very helpful drug when used to specifically improve the concentration and memory in children.

"However, if they are not genuine cases of ADHD, there can be serious implications," he said.

"I've found that Ritalin may be misused as an easy way to silence unruly children.

"However, there are genuine cases where the Ritalin can be used to help children," said Reddy.

Addiction to other drugs may be possible later because of the addictive nature of Ritalin, said Reddy.

"We are concerned that these youngsters may want to consume a drug that would give them the same high feeling. However, many of them may be able to cope with being taken off the drug."

- The exhibition is being held at the Durban Jewish Centre, 44 KE Masinga (Old Fort) Road. It is open from 9am to 6pm and closes tomorrow evening. Entrance is free.

Call Allan on 073 3149 545 for more information.

- Editor's note: The CCHR is an advocacy group established by the Church of Scientology. They are opposed to prescription medication used by psychiatrists.

Related Topics: