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Times
"Paying Attention." Scientific American. "Increased Medication Use in ADD: Regressive or Appropriate?" JAMA "The Ritalin Controversy: What's Made This Drug's Opponents Hyperactive?" JAMA The Leading Edge Research Homepage newsgroup: alt.support.attn-deficit Wired Magazine, "Interrupt Driven" Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid Or Crazy?! Success with Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity Parents of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder |
The Leading Edge Research Homepage, Alternatives to Ritalin and ADD, ADHD; FDA indications that Ritalin is carcinogenic; Messages on Natural Aternatives to Ritalin This information was found on the World Wide Web, with the search engine Excite. Since internet access is somewhat limited, the availability of this information is also somewhat limited. Most likely to have access would be college students and those affiliated with higher learning institutions, the middle class/ rich who can afford to subscribe to companies and those who receive access from work (i.e. government officials). The page chosen is operated by the Leading Edge International Research Group. By all indications, this seems to be an organization dedicated to alternative philosophies and practices, since they have commentaries on everything from Organic Foods and Alternative Housing to Aliens and Space and Quantum Energy/Physics. The key objective, as stated in one of their homepages is "access to information designed to inform and empower the planetary population as a public service, enabling them to ask the right questions of the the right people in order to gain evolving objectives, both for themselves and for the planetary community as a whole." An address is given if further information is needed. In the primary site ("Alternatives to Ritalin and ADD, DHD"), many players are listed in the short introduction. Samuel Orton is named as the discoverer of the link between biochemical activity in the brain and human behaviour. Ciba-Geigy is also mentioned, as the manufacturer of Ritalin and a contributor to the action group CHADD. Although there is no explanation of CHADD, the group is described as a propaganda machine for the pharmaceutical industry. "Parents" are portrayed as victims, having been intimidated to drug their children. The "system" is another player in the conspiracy, which includes the pharmaceutical firms and the physicians. Connected to that site is a page detailing findings by the FDA that Ritalin is a cancer causing agent. It is unclear whether the author regards the FDA as part of the "system" or not; on one hand, it has released its findings and alerted the health community, on the other, it has also maintained that Ritalin is safe. The whole web page tells the story of Ritalin as a conspiracy: a conspiracy by the drug companies, the doctors and psychologists to pressure parents to administer Ritalin to their children. The page maintains that ADD is actually a deficiency in neurotransmitters and can actually be cured quite quickly and inexpensively. It treats those who use the drug as victims and reassures parents that "there is no law that can force you to drug your child." Furthermore, it instructs parents of children taking Ritalin to "consult [their] family physician for assistance in halting the medication, be firm and refuse to be intimidated by the medical system, schools or psychologists." As proof of the dangers of Ritalin, the page is linked to the FDA study connecting cancer with the drug. It is written by Don McLearn, whose only fragment of identity is a phone number. It looks, on all accounts to be a genuine FDA document. The document reports increased rates of cancer in mice and rats. However, the increased cancer rates in the mice were mainly non-malignant. In addition, the mortality rates did not rise. Because the studies were only done on rodents, the agency decided that it was not conclusive that the drug was carcinogenic to humans. Another link from the main page leads the reader a comments page. One comment originated from South Africa and commented on a new product called Melotone. The product was offered as an alternative to Ritalin and was labelled as "encouraging." The whole set of pages from the Leading Edge International Research Group, whoever they were, was helpful in offering alternatives to Ritalin. However, due to the extreme nature of the comments in the page, one tended to view what was being said with skepticism. The pages seemed governed more by passion than by clear thinking and facts. Any contradicting opionion was immediately discredited and ignored. As a result, the only credible page was that of the FDA link. It was written in a more objective tone and offered both sides to the findings. Action to alert the public of such findings was shown and greatly contrasted with the conspiratorial overtones which the other pages tried to suggest. The page may appeal to those seeking more alternative lifestyles, but serves to alienate many of the mainstream public. Reviewer: Peter Siu |
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