LAWMAKERS URGED ON RITALIN MONEY

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Children are selling Ritalin to their friends in the
school yard. Principals and teachers are stealing it from the school
nurses' office. Educators tell parents to give the mild stimulant to their
children so they behave in class.

Lawmakers examining the use of Ritalin heard these and other stories
Tuesday and also were asked to provide more money for researching into the
drug's use -- and its abuse.

Sometimes, the pill is a lifesaver that allows a child overcome a serious
behavior disorder. But concern also is being raised over whether the
medicine is over-prescribed.

"Do not give into the sensationalism now associated with the name Ritalin,"
Mary Robertson, of Lexington, Ky., told a congressional hearing. Her two
children suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition
often treated with the drug. She said she wants government to support more
research into the cause and treatment of her children's disorder.

Robertson recalled that searching for the right combination of medication
and therapy to help one of her sons. "The guilt of turning to medication
took years to overcome," she said.

Many of the lawmakers on the House Education and Workforce Committee, who
are reviewing major laws governing schools, said Tuesday the drug's growing
use is a cause of concern.

"It's being overused and we're making a huge mistake," said Rep. Lynn
Woolsley, D-Calif., a member of the panel.

Chairman Bill Goodling, R-Pa., said special education budgets are being
stretched further by increasing numbers of children that may be falsely
diagnosed with the type of behavior disorders treated by Ritalin.

"Let's find out where it's legitimate (to use) and where it's not
legitimate," Goodling said. "Let's not continue to hook little children on
such a tremendous drug."

Recent studies document Ritalin's rise in use and abuse: the United States
makes and uses 85 percent of the world's supply; 1 in 5 college students
take it recreationally and more toddlers are getting prescriptions for it
- -- despite opposition by the drug's manufacturers.

In March, the drug was linked to the death of a 14-year-old Michigan boy.

Dr. Lawrence Diller, a San Francisco pediatrician who has prescribed the
drug for 22 years, told lawmakers he began to question his own actions
after seeing a growing number of parents of preschoolers and teen-agers
demanding the drug.

"I wondered if Tom Sawyer or Pippi Longstocking would also leave with a
Ritalin prescription," Diller said of the fictional children known for
their mischief-making.

He urged more attention to reducing class sizes and helping parents
stressed by work and child-rearing, instead of so quickly turning to the
drug for help.

Recently, Hillary Rodham Clinton, announced a task force to study the use
of the prescription drug.

Terrance Woodworth, a Drug Enforcement Administration official, urged
lawmakers to keep watch on how Ritalin is handled in schools. He told them,
for example, one teacher was secretly videotaped stealing a stash from the
nurses' office during an awards ceremony. In another school, a child was
caught giving nearly a month's supply of his medicine to his friends.
"
Few schools kept records," Woodworth said. "Frequently supplies were kept
in unlocked desks and a variety of people were tasked with giving
medication to students. Many junior and senior high school students carried
or administered their own medication."

But Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said, "It's not fair to ask
administrators and teachers to take on the role of physicians and pharmacists."