The Anti-ADHD/ Anti-Ritalin
Movement
History and Discussion
Mary Brinkmeyer
 Recent Events
 Statistics and
Controversies
 The Critics
Recent events
 1999: Colorado State Legislature holds
hearings on psychotropic medications and
school violence

Speakers include members of “watchdog”
Scientology groups
Recent Events
 1999 Colorado State School
Board passes resolution
cautioning against use of
psychotropic meds

Original intent of resolution
was to ban Ritalin
Cover of The Boulder
Weekly, 2001
2000: Class Action Lawsuits
 Filed against APA, CHADD, and Novartis
(formerly Ciba-Geigy)
 Alleged conspiracy to promote ADHD
diagnosis for purpose of maintaining
psychotropic drug industry.
 Alleged cover-up of dangers of Ritalin
 Lawsuits eventually dismissed.
2001-2003: State Bans on Schools
Recommending Ritalin
 CT, VA, CO pass laws
prohibiting educators from
recommending psychotropic
medications
 CT, UT state that refusing to
give children psychotropic
medications is not medical
neglect
Child Med. Safety Act of 2003
 May 2003: Passed by House 425 to 1
 Requires states “to develop and implement policies
and procedures prohibiting school personnel from
requiring a child…to obtain a prescription for a
controlled substance.”
 Requires tracking of prescription rates for ADHD
meds
 Opposed by American Psychiatric Association,
American Academy of Pediatrics, CHADD,
National Association for Mentally Ill.
Stimulant Statistics: Cause for
Concern?
 500% increase since 1991 in ADHD prescriptions
 Preschool ADHD meds tripled from 1990-1995.
 In past 15 years:


311% increase in kids 15-19 taking ADHD meds
170% increase in kids 5-14 taking ADHD meds
 Methylphenidate manufactured 2 ½ times the rate
of a decade ago


11 million prescriptions written each year
2000 profits for stimulants = $758,000,000
The New York Times, The Drug Enforcement Administration, Education World
Stimulant Statistics: Cause for
Concern?
Methylphenidate Consumption (Defined Daily Dose in millions)
Drug Enforcement Administration
Over-diagnosis and overprescription?


Jensen’s 1992 survey of stimulant use in selected
regions found only 12.5% of ADHD kids treated
with stimulants.
LeFever’s 1995 survey of VA schoolchildren
found rates of medication 2-3 times higher than
expected, with 20% of 5th grade white boys
taking ADHD meds. Rates much lower for girls
and black children.
Over-diagnosis and overprescription?
 Angold’s 1992-1996 survey of rural NC
children found almost twice as many kids on
stimulants (7%) as met DSM-III ADHD
criteria. Stimulant meds more common in
comorbid ODD kids.
 Bussing (2003) found poverty and minority
status negative predictors of receiving any tx
for ADHD.
Methylphenidate Abuse
 Can be abused in following
ways:


Orally (more common when
used to stay awake)
Crushing and snorting tablets
or dissolving in water and
injecting (used to produce
euphoria)
Methylphenidate Abuse: 2002 Stats
Drug
Grade
Ritalin
%
Alcohol
%
Cocaine
%
Heroin
%
MDMA
%
Pot
%
8th
3
39
2
1
3
15
10th
5
60
4
1
5
30
12th
4
72
5
1
7
36
Monitoring the Future National Survey of 420 Schools
Methylphenidate Abuse
 1993-1999 American Association of Poison
Control Centers reported 759 cases of
methylphenidate abuse in kids ages 10-19
brought to ER.



Most not prescribed the drug
Number of cases increased over time
Most not admitted, and medical outcomes good.
Klein-Schwartz & McGrath, 2003
Methylphenidate:
A Gateway Drug?
 4-year study of boys ages 15-19



56 medicated ADHD, 19 un-medicated ADHD,
137 controls
Rates of substance use disorder at 4-year follow
up significantly higher for un-medicated ADHD
Suggested “protective” effect of ADHD meds.
Biederman et al., 1999
CHADD: The 1995 Merrow
Report (PBS) Expose
 CHADD receiving hundreds of thousands in
funding from Ciba-Geigy

No mention of this in brochures, educator’s
manual, fact sheets, etc.
CHADD: The Merrow Report
 No mention of Ciba-Geigy link in CHADD video
distributed using grant from US Dept. of Education



Dept of Ed officials not aware of Ciba-Geigy link.
Video showed parents highly praising Ritalin without
identifying themselves as CHADD leaders.
Video distributed when CHADD’s fight for decontrol of
Ritalin heating up.
CHADD: The Merrow Report


UN International Narcotics Control Board
expressed concern.
Two days after Merrow Report aired, Dept of Ed
pulled video.
CHADD: Current Status
 Still receive 17% of funding from pharmaceutical
industry (2002 report)
 Acknowledge this on publicly-published financial
report (not that easy to find)
 Discuss commitment to ethics and not allowing
contributions to influence policy and statements
 Discuss importance of psychosocial interventions
The Critics: The Good, the Bad,
and the Nutty
Concerned Practitioners
 Lawrence Diller: Running on Ritalin (1998)



Behavioral pediatrician and family therapist who
regularly prescribes Ritalin
Worries Ritalin is “easy solution” for often
complicated situations
Raises concerns about ADHD being
misdiagnosed.
Concerned Practitioners
 Peter Breggin, Talking Back to Ritalin


Psychiatrist, opposes all psychotropic
medications for kids
Argues ADHD not biologically-based, drugs are
cop-out for parents, doctors, and teachers


Says meds “crush a child's desire to socialize, to play,
to escape, to be full of stuff like kids are”
Often testifies at anti-Ritalin hearings
Scientologists
 Scientologists have opposed psychiatry and
psychology since failed to accept founder L. Ron
Hubbard’s theory of “dianetics” in 1960s.
 Main anti-psychiatry arm: Citizen’s Commission
for Human Rights (CCHR).
 Celebrity spokespeople: Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie
Presley, Kelly Preston, Juliette Lewis, Jenna
Elfman, Issac Hayes.
CCHR: Selected Publications
Psychiatry Betraying & Drugging Children - Harming
Lives
Psychiatry Destroying Religion - Creating Evil
Psychiatry's Betrayal - Creating Racism
Psychiatry Victimizing The Elderly - Denying Respect
Psychiatric Rape - Betraying Women
Psychiatry Eradicating Justice - Creating Crime
Psychiatry Destroying Morals - Creating Chaos
Scientologists
 Dr. Fred Baughman (neurologist): leading
speaker for CCHR



Website www.adhdfraud.com
Frequently quoted by anti-ADHD activists
without acknowledgement of Scientology
connection
Main proponent of conspiracy theory.
Proponents of Alternative
Therapies
 Hundreds of books on
treating ADHD without
drugs.
 Range from fairly sound
behavioral principles to diets,
supplements, exercise, etc.
 Rarely include any empirical
data.
Questions, Discussion