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Author: Sheila Matthews

Black Box Warning on Antidepressants

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

Gloria Wright
Vice President State of North Carolina

AbleChild is pleased with the FDA advisory panel’s move to place “black box warnings”, the strongest possible warnings that can be issued, on all antidepressants that have been linked to suicide ideations. The FDA’s hearings appear now to offer hope and healing. During the hearings held February 2 and September 13, frustrated and anguished parents and victims testified as to the horrible acts of violence, suicide, and suicide ideation induced by antidepressant use. According to their testimony, SSRI drugs had the causal effect of perpetrating these terrible tragic reactions on their loved ones. SSRI’s are a class of antidepressants still under investigation for causing suicidal thoughts and acts in children and adolescents. Eight of these SSRI drugs have been banned since last year in the U.K. for anyone under 18 years of age. The FDA never approved the use of these drugs for use in children. These drugs failed to meet the basic FDA requirement for effectiveness, yet were prescribed to children through a loophole called “off label”.

Though this move to place “black box” warnings is long overdue, it is necessary and a welcomed step toward improving the informed consent process. Our organization has regularly requested accountability, which must be required of both the drug companies and the psychiatric industry. There must be a documented informed consent process prior to treatment. Our organization will continue to work with the Congressional Investigation and Oversight Committee and FDA to ensure that the wording on warning labels are clear so there is no chance for misinterpretation.

Misinformation is itself a clear and present danger to the safety of our children. We need to focus closely on ensuring any write-ups regarding risks are straightforward, clear, and are not in any way additional attempts to mislead the public further on the part of drug companies or the psychiatric industry. The decision of the advisory panel to place a “black box warning” on these drugs will go a long way towards reducing the suicide rate in the United States .

Ablechild’s president and co-founder, Patricia Weathers testified before the Advisory Panel, “It broke my heart to see so many senseless deaths. To hide this important information from the public is a deadly secret we cannot afford to keep any longer. These families trusted the psychiatric and drug industries, and that trust was broken.”

AbleChild will attend the Connecticut Statewide Conference on Inclusion in New Canaan , Connecticut , on Saturday, October 2. We will offer the Connecticut Department of Education, parents, children’s advocates, as well as educators access to the latest information on the advisory panel’s recommendations and highlight the importance of “The Child Medication Safety Act” which is still stalled in committee in the Senate. For more information, please visit our website: www.ablechild.org.

FDA Update on Review of Antidepressants Used as Tool for Drug Companies to Seek Pediatric Approval for Antidepressant Use in Children

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Articles.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 AbleChild.org Requests that the FDA Withdraw Antidepressant Drug Applications that Seek Drug Approval at Upcoming Advisory Review Committee Meeting on September 13th and 14th, 2004 in Bethesda, Maryland.

According to the FDA’s Talk Paper on the safety review of antidepressants dated August 20th, there are findings among drug trials that suggest an increase risk of suicide in children, but interpretation of these findings represents a “substantial challenge”. Despite these findings, and the fact that the UK last year banned the use of 8 of these antidepressants for use in children, the FDA has attached to their Talk Paper, applications from drug companies, which seek to approve these same drugs for children. (See link attachment on FDA Talk Paper http://www.fda.gov/cder/pediatric/Summaryreview.htm).

The fact is that these drugs have never been approved for use in children. These drugs were being prescribed in what is termed an “off-label loophole”, whereby a doctor could prescribe any of these drugs for a child at his own discretion.

With these facts, and the link to suicide in children, the America public should be alarmed that the FDA is allowing these drug applications to be considered during this safety review process.

“As part of its commitment to keep the American public fully informed about the status of its review of data concerning the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients, the FDA is issuing this update to provide healthcare providers and patients with the most current information on this topic.”

How is this statement fulfilling the FDA’s commitment to fully inform the public, when in fact, they are simultaneously submitting new applications from various drugs companies that would approve the use of these same drugs for children? There was a total of 203 press alerts across the wires yesterday on the FDA’s Safety Update on Antidepressants, all of which excluded the “fine print” located at the bottom of the FDA’s Talk Paper that links new applications to the safety review process. Is this the FDA’s commitment to fully inform the American public?

“The FDA will assure that the labels of the antidepressants used in pediatric patients reflect the most recent information obtained from these same studies and analyses”.

Let’s get to the plan at hand. Is it the intent of the FDA to approve these suicide-linked drugs for use in children, and then slap warning labels on the package after approval?

The September FDA Advisory Committee Meeting that is conducting this review should be acting in accordance with U.S. Code Title 42: Section 289a-1: Part H – General Provisions regarding review and approval of proposal for research under Section (b) Ethical Review of Research. This Advisory Committee has an obligation to the protection of human research and under section (2) the peer review and in the case of any proposal for the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support research; the Secretary may not approve or fund any proposal that is subject to technical and scientific peer review.

Based on these procedural safeguards and guidelines, these antidepressant drug applications that seek drug approval for use in children should be withdrawn immediately from the September FDA Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda.

As a public health agency, the FDA must protect public health, not manage risks associated with depression that goes untreated, especially when that “treatment” itself is inducing suicide ideation that results in death.

It appears the pending strategy seems to be, approve the drugs for use in children, and then warn of risks. This is unacceptable.

FDA Talk Paper

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

T04-31
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Updates Its Review of Antidepressant Drugs in Children
Agency Details Plans to Present Data to Advisory Committees in September and Seek Advice on Appropriate Regulatory Actions

As part of its commitment to keep the American public fully informed about the status of its review of data concerning the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing this update to provide health care providers and patients with the most current information on this topic.

FDA has completed a new analysis of pediatric suicidality (suicidal thoughts and actions) data submitted to the agency and will be posting its analysis on its web site. FDA will also be posting on its web site additional summaries of pediatric efficacy studies from drugs that have been studied in depression in pediatric patients. Although specific new labeling language has yet to be developed, FDA will assure that the labels of the antidepressants used in pediatric patients reflect the most recent information obtained from these studies and analyses.

Next month, on September 13 and 14, 2004, FDA officials will be discussing this issue at a public meeting of its Psychopharmacologic Drugs and Pediatric Advisory Committees, at which time the agency will hear from the public and solicit the advice of the committees on these labeling changes and other possible regulatory actions.

Background

FDA has been closely reviewing the results of antidepressant studies in children since June 2003, after an initial report on studies with paroxetine (Paxil) appeared to suggest an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in the children given Paxil, compared to those given placebo. Later reports on studies of other drugs supported the possibility of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in children taking these drugs. There were no suicides in any of the trials.

FDA has closely examined the studies of the antidepressants because of the potential public health impact of a link between the drugs and suicidality and the importance of these drugs in treating depression and other serious mental health conditions. On close examination of the initial reports of suicidality, it was unclear whether some of the identified suicidal behaviors reported in these studies represented actual suicide attempts or self-injurious behavior that was not suicide-related. FDA therefore arranged with Columbia University suicidality experts to review these reports.

Meanwhile, FDA brought the available information to its Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) and Pediatric Subcommittee of the Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committees on February 2, 2004. The advisory committee members advised FDA that even before the Columbia analysis was complete, the labeling should draw more attention to the need to monitor patients closely when antidepressant therapy is initiated. Based on this recommendation, FDA asked manufacturers to change the labels of ten drugs to include stronger cautions and warnings about the need to monitor patients for worsening of depression and the emergence of suicidality, whether such worsening represents an adverse effect of the drug or failure of the drug to prevent such worsening. The new warning language has now been added to the labels for seven of these products. Sponsors for the other three drugs have agreed to adopt the language.

The “Columbia” Study

Because of concerns about whether the varied events identified by sponsors under the broad category of “possibly suicide-related” could all reasonably be considered to represent suicidality, FDA asked Columbia University to assemble an international panel of pediatric suicidality experts to undertake a blinded review of the reported behaviors using a rigorous classification system. The Columbia group submitted its completed review to FDA last month.

FDA has developed its analysis of the pediatric suicidality data, based on case classifications provided by Columbia University, and will be posting the analysis on its web site. While there are findings among these data suggestive of an increased risk of suicidality for some of these drugs, there remain inconsistencies in the results, both across trials for individual drugs and across drugs. Thus, an overall interpretation of these findings represents a substantial challenge.

The September FDA Advisory Committee Meeting

FDA’s next step, planned for some time, will be to update the Psychopharmacologic Drugs and the Pediatric Advisory Committees about the results of these reviews and to seek assistance from the committees in interpreting the data and in considering what additional regulatory actions may be needed to promote the safe use of these drugs.

As a public health agency, FDA must weigh the possibility of an increased risk of suicidality in young patients taking these drugs against the known risk of suicide in patients whose depression goes untreated.

FDA will be bringing the following issues and draft questions to the committees for their input:

  • Please comment on our approach to classification of the possible cases of suicidality (suicidal thinking and/or behaviors) and our analyses of the resulting data from the 23 pediatric trials involving 9 antidepressant drugs.
  • Do the suicidality data from these trials support the conclusion that any or all of these drugs increase the risk of suicidality in pediatric patients?
  • If the answer to the previous question is yes, to which of these 9 drugs does this increased risk of suicidality apply? Please discuss, for example, whether the increased risk applies to all antidepressants, only certain classes of antidepressants, or only certain antidepressants.
  • If there is a class suicidality risk, or a suicidality risk that is limited to certain drugs in this class, how should this information be reflected in the labeling of each of the products? What, if any, additional regulatory actions should the Agency take?
  • Please discuss what additional research is needed to further delineate the risks and benefits of these drugs in pediatric patients with psychiatric illness.

The meeting will be held in Bethesda, Maryland on September 13 and 14, 2004. So that all interested parties will have ample opportunity to review the information to be discussed next month, FDA will be posting information on its website at: http://www.fda.gov/cder/pediatric/Summaryreview.htm and http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/briefing/2004-4065b1.htm.

Ablechild Petitions Connecticut Governor And Public Health Commissioner To Provide Public With FDA Warning On Antidepressants Before Treatment

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 AbleChild has learned that last week the Connecticut Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Galvin, submitted to Governor Rell a written opinion on Informed Consent relating to the recent FDA Antidepressant Warnings and their link to Suicide in adults and children. Ablechild requests that the office of Public Health, as well as the Governor’s office, provide this written opinion on informed consent to the public immediately, to ensure that the public is aware of the ongoing investigation and public health warnings regarding antidepressants and the implications surrounding this issue.

This year FDA warnings on Antidepressants immediately followed an FDA investigation, which was launched on a different class of antidepressants known as SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). This investigation and subsequent warnings comes after the United Kingdom banned the use of SSRI’s in 2003 for anyone under age 18, due to their propensity to cause suicidal ideations in children and adolescents. Currently the FDA has required that the drug companies re-label antidepressants with stronger warnings, requiring them to disclose their links to suicide.

This past week, on the Federal level, a Congressional Investigative Subcommittee Hearing, which was to investigate drug companies’ concealment of clinical data involving harm and negative side effects of Antidepressants, was abruptly shut down. This shut down, was a result of the Subcommittee Chairman’s (Congressman Greenwood-PA) acceptance of a job with one of the company’s under investigation. This recent news highlights the corruption within the political process, and the conflict of interest, both of which have sadly overrode our children’s health and safety.

In light of these facts, Ablechild has taken immediate action in Connecticut to increase public disclosure of the very real risks and life threatening warnings that these drugs have, in hopes of dispelling the myth that these drugs are safe and effective. Misinformation, comprising of the idea that these drugs are safe for our children, has been for many years, all too easily and eagerly, spread by the pharmaceutical industry manufacturing them, as well as a major portion of the mental health industry. Both of these industries have vested financial interests as top priority.

The State of Connecticut has a responsibility to protect public health. The public needs to have access to all warnings in order to make informed decisions regarding whether or not to use antidepressants for “treatment”, being recommended for depression and other psychiatric labels placed upon our children. These warnings need to be taken seriously, should be disclosed readily prior to “treatment”, and should not be overlooked. Informed Consent, hand in hand, with public safety, should be everybody’s top priority!

To read more on antidepressant warnings visit www.ablechild.org

Victims of Antidepressants Respond to Federal Corruption in Ongoing Investigation. Drug Companies’ Influence Suspends Hearing.

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 A hearing scheduled for yesterday, July 20, 2004, by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, headed by Congressman Greenwood of PA, was abruptly shut down just hours before it was to convene. This hearing, requested by victims, was scheduled to address both the withholding of clinical trial data from the public by drug companies, and the role of the FDA in the antidepressant investigation. Representatives from 7 pharmaceutical companies, their trade association, as well as, representatives from the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and one top FDA official, were all scheduled to testify before the Subcommittee. Ablechild learned from the Associated Press that the hearing was suspended due to Congressman Greenwood’s announcement that he was seeking career opportunity from the pharmaceutical industry. This clearly raises ethical concerns.

Ablechild received a flood of calls from families outraged over the government’s depraved indifference to human rights, its lack of responsibility, and its blatant disregard for the public safety. Ablechild has put in an emergency request to the Senate to reopen these hearings to the public immediately, due to this Subcommittee’s inability to act in the best interest of the public. Parents contacting Ablechild know that the Subcommittee is unduly influenced and request that immediate action should be taken to uphold the integrity of this investigation.

On behalf of parents nationwide, Ablechild contacted Senator Santorum, from PA, specifically requesting that he take steps to reopen these hearings to ensure that the health and well being of our children is not, in any way, compromised. Ablechild points to the death of little Shaina Dunkle, from Pennsylvania, who at the age of 10, died from the direct result of antidepressants. Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, has repeatedly appealed to both Congressman Greenwood and Senator Santorum, asking for accountability in the death of her daughter. We have appealed to Pennsylvania, reminding them that Shaina Dunkle’s death should not be disregarded by the power plays of special interest groups influencing politicians and investigative hearings.

The government has the responsibility to protect public safety. Ablechild eagerly awaits Senator Santorum’s response.

National Association of School Psychology Down Plays Drug Deaths and Misleads Public on State Laws On National Public Radio

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, Violence.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 In a NPR radio segment on the Here and Now show that aired yesterday, the National Association of School Psychology Spokesman, Peter Welley, told the public that Connecticut’s law that prohibits school personnel from recommending psychotropic drugs for children was rescinded. Connecticut’s legislation signed into law on June 28, 2001, has served as model legislation for other states around the country. Peter Welley, speaking on behalf of the organization for school psychologists, further indicated that there were many complaints launched against the Connecticut legislation.

Ablechild.org knew this public claim aired live was an outright falsehood. We suspected it to be an outlandish and meager attempt at best, to mislead the public by steering it away from the fact that this nation has been passing legislation in order to counter the epidemic of children being forced onto drugs via the public schools. Ablechild immediately launched its own investigation into this serious matter by placing a direct call into Republican Lenny Winkler’s office, the Sponsor of the Connecticut Law, as well as a practicing emergency room nurse. Her office confirmed our beliefs by assuring us that the law has not been rescinded, or in any way changed. Furthermore, AbleChild.org has learned from their office that the only complaints that they have received regarding this legislation, were from, not surprisingly, The National Association of School Psychologists. Questioned more in depth, Representative Winkler’s office indicated to us that there was not one parent complaint.

There could be several motivating factors, which prompted this organization to misrepresent the facts publicly. The possible loss of grant money is just one incentive for continuing today’s trend of labeling and drugging our children. Ablechild suspects that there will be many more similar attempts to misrepresent and divert public attention by organizations that have preyed off of our children for many years. These group’s financial incentives are on shaky ground, and it is not surprising that they grasp at thin air, in lieu of so many facts arising to the public nationwide regarding legislation and drug risks. It could be that the nation’s widespread anti-coercion Federal and State legislation, Great Britain’s ban last year of the use of 8 different antidepressants for children and adolescents, America’s own on-going FDA investigation and warnings on antidepressants, and the many Federal legal cases pending regarding informed consent and drug risks, all had a hand in making many groups a tad bit jumpy.

Children’s health and safety are being compromised daily and The Association of School Psychology takes no responsibility for this reality associated with their diagnoses and recommendations. This is a national mental health crisis, and confirms the fact that we need Federal protection in place for our children. To read about the current Federal Legislation called “The Child Medication Safety Act” and to help ensure a child’s right to grow up healthy and drug-free click here  Legislation.

Access Denied to Parents in Public Schools – A National Crisis on Informed Consent

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 May 19, 2004, a national news story ran out of Connecticut regarding a 7-year-old child that attacked a teacher, after he would not stop tapping his pencil. The school called in the police to subdue the child. The fact is, that this isn’t the first problem Stratford Elementary School has had with its teaching style and psychological services.

On February 12, 2004, Connecticut Stratford Police were called to Nichols Elementary School when a mother of an 8-year-old boy told police that the school administrators physically abused her son who had been diagnosed with the subjective label “ADHD”.

Ablechild.org contacted both the elementary school and the Stratford police department to request that information on the current federal Investigation into the use of behavioral drugs for children, be provided to both parents with children involved in the recent acts occurring at the school. Ablechild.org stressed to the police department the importance of providing this information to the parents to ensure that they were given proper informed consent. The Stratford Police department, though sympathetic to our request, referred us to the board of education, which outright refused our organization’s request. We strongly urged the board to provide information to the parents on the current federal investigation into the dangerous drug ‘treatment” for the controversial label “ADHD” to comply with full informed consent.

This raises serious questions regarding the lack of information parents are receiving about the label “ADHD”, behavioral drugs linked to bizarre behaviors, and suicide ideations in children that are currently under review on the Federal level.

On May 17, 2004 CBS 11 out of DALLAS-FORT WORTH Report By Investigator Ginger Allen and Producer/Photojournalist Dave Manoucheri revealed that, “Medicating children to control behavior has become a trend over the last decade, but now drug manufacturers and even the U.S. government are in the hot seat, questioned about a potentially deadly side-effect of what is supposed to be a life-saver.”

Informed consent is such an important part of the decision making process for all parents. This is a national crisis when 7 and 8 year olds need to be restrained by the police. It is time we look at the psychological programs at these elementary schools to ensure that proper informed consent is occurring.

PBS FRONTLINE Markets Misleading Information to Public Schools on Columbine School Shootings

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Articles, MedWatch, Violence.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

In a Frontline PBS documentary style marketing pitch that aired on May 13, PBS simply misleads viewers by attempting to justify the profiling of boys through checklists to predict violent behavior. PBS has failed to mention the fact that Littleton, Colorado had in place a psychological education program, which first came to Littleton in 1991 under the name “outcome-based education”. This million dollar psychological based program was in place prior to the school shootings and failed to prevent the very violence that occurred. PBS is marketing this misleading information for a fee to school officials.

Let us not forgot that Eric Harris enrolled in a psychological school based program called, “Conflict Resolutions” and was on a drug called Luvox. In a Special Report, Perscription Drugs May Trigger Killings, human rights award-winning reporter, Kelly Patricia O’Meara wrote, “The physician’s desk reference (PDR) records that, during controlled clinical trials of Luvox, manic reactions developed in 4 percent of children. Mania is defined as “a form of psychosis characterized by exalted feelings, delusions of grandeur…and overproduction of ideas”. Court records show that the prescription for Harris had been filled 10 times between April 1998 and March 1999, and that three-and-a-half months before the shooting the dose had been increased- a common thread many experts say they are finding prior to adverse reactions to psychotropic drugs. The autopsy on Harris revealed a “therapeutic level” of Luvox in his system.”

O’Meara’s Special Report stated, “Other school shooters on antidepressants at the time of their attacks include 15 year old Kip Kinkel who, while on Prozac, killed his parents and then proceeded to school where he opened fire on classmates, killing two and wounding 22 others; 14-year old Elizabeth Bush, on “antidepressants” when she wounded one student at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport, PA; and 18 year-old Jason Hoffman, on Effexor and Celexa when he wounded one teacher and three students at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, CA.”

B.K. Eakman, Executive director of the National Education Consortium and author of “Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Morality Through Education”, writes in an Washington Times Op-Ed piece on Monday, April 26, 1999 following the Columbine shootings. “Last week the cumulative effect of therapeutic/socialization-style education hit critical mass. Parents in Littleton, Colo., got a good jolt of the “mental hygiene” approach to schooling, up close and personal. Drug education, refusal skills, self-esteem, and relationships became the centerpieces of the curriculum, pushing academics to the back burner.”

Rewriting history and leaving critical information out so that the public cannot make informed decisions regarding the funding and potential classification and profiling of children within the public education system, is criminal. For Frontline to market this junk science to public schools is an outrage.

While we applaud Kevin Dwyer, the President of the National Association of School Psychologists for criticizing the number of checklists and expressing concerns regarding profiling, labeling, and stigmatization of children, we would like to point out that he failed to address the involvement the National Association of School Psychologists had in the role at Columbine. His association, The National Association of School Psychologists, also opposes, “The Child Medication Safety Act”, an anti-coercion bill to protect against forced drugging of children.

Our organization calls on the United States Government to prevent misleading and dangerous information from entering our public schools. This is a public health issue on the National level. For more information on the crisis regarding behavioral modification drugs visit www.ablechild.org.

Ablechild Plugs Loopholes in Trafficking of Children Forced Into Behavioral Drug Use in the State of Arizona

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 Rebecca Noble, Vice President of Ablechild.org in Arizona secured a big win for parents by protecting their ‘right to refuse’ psychiatric drugs for their children. A new law stating that Child Protective Services (CPS) can no longer charge parents with “medical neglect” for failing to administer psychiatric drugs to their children is a victory for parents. Another bill that would have furthered parents ‘right to refuse’ psychiatric drugs for their children within schools was defeated. This defeat for the right to refuse psychiatric drugs clearly erodes parent’s rights to protect their children’s health and safety and is one more example of why ‘The Child Medication Safety Act of 2003’ is urgent on a federal level.

Last December 3, 2003 Rebecca Noble, Vice President of AbleChild.org, Arizona testified before the Arizona House of Representative, forty-sixth Legislature, in a Second Special Session, Committee on Appropriations in regards to Child Protective Services (CPS) being called on parents unwilling to harm their children by placing them on dangerous psychiatric drugs used to “treat” behavioral or attention issues. Senate Bill 1009 said that CPS did not have the right to accuse parents of medical neglect if that parent chooses not to “medicate” their child.

Ms. Noble worked with Senator Mark Anderson in the Senate and Representative Eddie Farnsworth in the House to ensure that the CPS bill included language to protect parents who refuse psychiatric drugs for their children. They all fought very hard for this language. In the end, House leadership led by Representative Eddie Farnsworth held the line during negotiations with the Governor by saying that the wording of the psychiatric drug clause was “non-negotiable”. On December 13th, 2003, the bill passed both the House and Senate and went to the Governor’s office for a signature. On December 18th the Governor signed HB 2024 into law.

“Parents should be thrilled with this new law guaranteeing that there will be no detrimental action taken against them by CPS, a state abuse agency, that was clearly operating well outside its “abuse” boundaries, said Rebecca Noble, Ablechild.Org Arizona Vice President. “Parents should have a definitive right to say no to all drugs used today to ‘treat’ diagnoses such as ADD/ADHD derived by completing both simple and highly subjective rating scales and checklists. These drugs many times have had severe side effects on a child, and a parent no longer willing to administer a drug based on the harm it has caused their child, should not be threatened with ‘abuse’ charges.”

Ms. Noble pointed out all parents need to be aware that additional legislation that would further protect their ‘right to refuse’ psychiatric drugs for their children was shot down recently. The recent anti-coercion legislation that Ms. Noble referenced was SB 1278, a bill simply stating that parents – not school employees – should make the medical decisions regarding children with behavior problems.

Sadly, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano vetoed this important legislation and from this clear shot to parental rights, we can all but assume that the Governor believes that schools should be allowed to force parents to drug their children in order to be allowed to attend school.

The governor’s veto had prompted Senator Mark Anderson a champion of parental rights to issue a statement to the press on what he correctly calls the “Eroding of Parental Rights”. In addition to Senator Anderson, there are many key players in Arizona fighting the good fight, that fight for parental and children rights. These players will continue to champion this issue and fight to renew legislation. More effort is needed from Arizona parents to get the message out that there should be no compromises surrounding their parental rights to refuse drugs for their children and that their ‘right to refuse’ should be guaranteed.

Ablechild.org has its own personal experience with both coercion and harm due to psychiatric drugs. It has two members who have had children that have died from drugs forcibly prescribed them. Other members have had children harmed as from the drugs and many have had state abuse agencies called on them as well. As a result, of the widespread mental health systems abuses occurring within and outside the educational system, AbleChild a national grass root organization, was born to crusade for parental rights in the midst of a Nation clearly in crisis.

This crisis itself is schools forcing parents to administer drugs to their children in order to be in a classroom setting. The response to this crisis is that more than 12 States have initiated some form of legislation or resolutions to curb this trend in forced psychiatric drugging. There are seven States, which have laws on the books preventing schools from recommending or demanding that parents place their children on behavioral drugs as a condition for attending school. The Federal Government has even initiated a similar bill in response to the widespread coercion of parents occurring throughout the nation.

This bill “The Child Medication Safety Act of 2003” passed the House of Representatives 425-1. Currently it is pending in the Senate, stalled due to the many special interest groups claiming to have parental rights and children’s safety at heart yet still pocketing pharmaceutical funding. Ablechild.org is just one of the many organizations that have brought this conflict of interest to light to parents nationwide. For more information on this important bill visit www.ablechild.org.

Letter to Connecticut’s Attorney General’s Office.

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

March 12, 2004

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
State of Connecticut
Attention:  Tom Ryan: (Mental Health Vendor Investigation: Wards of State)
(Fax) 860-808-5391

Dear Mr. Ryan:

Thank you for following up with Ablechild.org request for a meeting with the Attorney General for inclusion in the on-going State investigation into the mental health services provided to children mandated into State care.  Our organization is delighted to hear the State has launched such an investigation into the behavioral health vendors that supply mental health services to children in State care.  We are eager to have input on current procedures, and safeguards afforded to children within the Department of Family Services.

However, as discussed in our telephone conversation of March 12, 2004, several things have alarmed our organization about the investigation that is underway.  With review of the Attorney General’s Press Release and his recent article in the New York Times, our organization feels that the Attorney General has already reached a conclusion prior to the start of the investigation.  His press release reflected a conclusion that more mental health services are needed and insurance companies need to pay for these mental health services.  This concerns our national parent organization since the question is not the quantity of mental health services but the quality and nature of such services, particularly when children are misdiagnosed or over-diagnosed with a mental illness they do not have and are prescribed controversial drugs that they do not need.

There are several issues that we wish to raise regarding psychiatric drugs that are being prescribed to children in state custody.  The first issue is accountability and informed consent.  Children mandated into state care are being prescribed drugs without proper informed consent, with no accountability.  The State, itself, has yet to determine the ethical implications of using behavioral drugs on children mandated into State care[1].  There are no safeguards in place to prevent the trafficking of children into behavioral drug use and or clinical drug trials.  The State bears the responsibility and liability of this.  The second issue we wish to raise is the drug risks, and the fact that children in state care are being placed on certain drugs that are not approved for use in children.  Many of these drugs being prescribed were last year banned in the U.K. for use in children due to their propensity to cause children to commit suicide or violent acts.  On February 2nd of this year in response to the U.K.’s ban of the drugs the FDA launched its own investigation into the same drugs regarding the same safety concerns.  Our concern is that the children in state care are placed into an additional risk category, as they do not have the luxury of having a parent or caregiver to fight for their rights to informed consent and basic health and safety.  Children that are placed into state care are many times being mandated by the courts to take dangerous drugs against their will (The New England Law Review AN ANALYSIS OF THE LEGAL ISSUES SURROUNDING THE FORCED USE OF RITALIN).  Mandating mental health services does not provide the child with their basic right to refuse “treatment”.  This raises serious constitutional issues.

A third concern our organization raises is that many of the diagnoses placed in a child’s files are derived from subjective and inaccurate testing measures.  We need to clearly point out several key points to you and will use just one diagnosis as an example-ADHD/ADD.

  • Our organization has found from documenting parents stories, that ADHD/ADD is usually the first subjective diagnosis slapped onto a child because it encompasses a vast list of behaviors that many children would fall under.
  • In 1998 the National Institute of Health issued a Consensus Statement on ADHD stating, “…We do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there are no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction.”
  • The Department of Defense commissioned report invalidating the tests that are being used to diagnose children.  See https://www.ablechild.org/right to refuse/continuous_performance_tests.htm
  • The state of Connecticut does not have a policy on ADHD nor does it endorse a test for ADHD/ADD
  • The Federal government itself does not have a policy or endorse a test for ADHD
  • Under State Statutes there must be regulations in place governing the requirements of doctors to validate a diagnosis before he/she can prescribe a controlled substance.  Without a state or federal policy in place or a valid test to substantiate a diagnosis, a red flag is raised whether doctors are in violation of the uniformed controlled substance act.
  • Forcing/mandating drugs on children without informed consent when there is no policy governing such said actions.
  • Our organization has requested that the state of Connecticut dismantle its ADHD Task Force within the Department of Special Education https://www.ablechild.org/Letters/letter%20to%20comissioner%20sergi%20ct%202-23-04.htm.

 

As per our conversation, the State has placed our organization into an awkward position by requesting that we provide the State with confidential case histories of children that do not have legal representation to pursue their complaints against the State.  These parents have already tried to reach every responsible person in the State of Connecticut for help and have come to AbleChild.org to request advocacy.  At this point, we can verify that the parents have legitimate concerns based on their DCF case files. We are in contact with these parents; and we are updating them on the State’s investigation. Ablechild.org does not want to jeopardize their ability to pursue legal action; and we do not represent their legal interests.   Therefore, we have encouraged them to seek legal guidance and feel it is inappropriate to supply the State with requested documents.  These parents have expressed great interest in the State’s investigation and have indicated a willingness to participate.  We will supply them with a copy of the response to this correspondence.

We feel strongly that it is of utmost importance we keep all of our parents across the country informed as to each step our organization takes in bringing forth their concerns.  We want to ensure that all aspects of the issue surrounding forced drugging of children by schools and states alike are an open and transparent process.

As discussed, AbleChild.org has been in touch with over 750 parents across the country coerced into drugging their children for behavioral/attentional issues. Our organization has been actively participating in the FDA Hearings and is currently pursuing a new federal bill “The Child Medication Safety Act” –S.1390.  Your office indicated interest in the current federal SSRIs and ADHD litigation.  See below reference attorney’s name and firm link.

We look forward to meeting with the Attorney General to help the State with its on-going investigation to ensure our parent’s voices are included.  The State of Connecticut bears a great burden and responsibility during this investigation, which has national implications.  We feel there is no better place then the Constitution State of Connecticut to scrutinize policies that affect the health and safety of children.  We look forward to your response.

Respectfully,

Sheila Matthews,
National Vice President

www.ablechild.org

fax (203) 966-2840

ph (203) 966-8419

 

cc: James Comey, Deputy Attorney General United States
Governor Rowland, State of Connecticut
Senator Sullivan, President of the Connecticut Senate
Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights:  Connecticut Chapter

Referenced: Federal Litigation: Alan Milstein, www.sskrplaw.com

Bishop Lori, President’s Commission on Mental Retardation

Three Connecticut Coercion Complainants –During Ward of CT State Status

The Hartford Courant

[1] Document reference Hearings on the federal level: The Right to Privacy Inquiry as it relates to the Use of Behavioral Modification Drugs on Children.