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Vicky Dunkle, Ablechild Vice President/Pennsylvania letter to Congressman James Greenwood/Pennsylvania Regarding “The Child Medication Act”

April 7, 2003

Dear Mr. Greenwood,

I am writing to you about the Child Medication Safety Act of 2003. I'm thankful this bill has been introduced, but I'm concerned about the wording. Along with many others, I feel strongly that no psychotropic drugs, including Schedule II drugs as well as anti-depressants, should be distributed to students attending public schools. All psychotropic drugs can be addictive and have extreme adverse side effects.

Our precious daughter, Shaina, died suddenly on February 26, 2001 from desipramine toxicity, a drug that my husband and I believed, at the time, to be considered "safe and effective." This was the deadliest decision of our lives. We were victimized by the public, by the public school system, and were led to believe that our daughter had ADHD, because the teacher and school psychologist recommended that we seek the diagnosis. We regret that we ever listened to the school personnel.

Our country is experiencing an unprecedented epidemic of school-age children, and now toddlers, who are being diagnosed with a multitude of psychiatric disorders who are subsequently being given very powerful mind-altering, behavior controlling drugs. Parents are often manipulated and coerced by school personnel into seeking short-term benefits for their children without realizing the long-term consequences of their children being diagnosed with a psychiatric condition equivalent to a mental illness.

After having a daughter die because of psychiatric drugging, I believe policies need to change. Children attend school to be educated not “medicated” and our children's lives are being put at-risk just so they can perform and conform on a daily basis. Please consider changing the legislation to include the prohibition for ANY drug and to either remove the term "behavioral support" from the section on pre-referral services or define it as the same parental consent and procedural safeguards to those children as to the ones in IDEA.

It is extremely important that these changes be implemented to protect children from being drugged unnecessarily. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Vicky Dunkle

32 E. Willow St.

Smethport Pa 16749

'01

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