ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)
http://www.ahrp.org
Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav
212-595-8974
e-mail: veracare@ahrp.org

FYI

A report in the Tampa Tribune following its five month investigation,
shows how misprescribing of psychiatric drugs for children can precipitate
life-threatening tragedies.

The report describes a 9 year old child's descent into suicidal violence
after she had been haphazardly prescribed powerful antipsychotic and
antidepressant drugs--Risperdal, Seroquel, Paxil and Zoloft are among
the drugs mentioned.

Can this possibly be therapeutic for a 9 year old?
 "Emergency workers cornered her behind the office and tied her to a gurney.
She screamed and thrashed the whole way to the
Community Hospital emergency room and screamed throughout the afternoon
as nurses tried to sedate her. They finally succeeded by giving her
a shot of Thorazine."

The Tampa Tribune reports that its investigation and analysis involved
nearly 600 sheriff's reports in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The
Tribune found rising number of child Baker Act incidents statewide.

Those findings correspond to the findings of Dr. Julie Zito and
colleagues at the University of Maryland whose article in the January
 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, reported that
the number of children taking psychiatric drugs nationwide has at
least doubled in the past decade.
See: http://www.ahrp.org/infomail/0103/14.html