Struggling schoolkids need parent's love, not medication

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Oct 1, 2002 | by Chappell Dew

Thank you to Kelly Patricia O'Meara for her recent article on prescription drugs and school shootings [see "Prescription Drugs May Bigger Killing" Sept. 23].

I served as an elected county school-board member in Horry County, S.C., from 1994-98 and fought hard to increase awareness of the dangers of drugging innocent schoolchildren. Peter Breggin included information on some of my activities in his book Talking Back to Ritalin.

Too many parents are tricked and coerced into thinking something is wrong with their children and therefore they need a drug to fix it. Articles such as Ms. O'Meara's shed the light of truth on the dangers inherent in choosing this path of treatment.

Children need love, understanding, attention and time from their parents, a safe environment and three square meals a day. What they don't need are adults who find them defective and mentally disordered because they don't sit still in school or have difficulty learning.

Chappell Dew
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