LAWMAKERS URGED TO FUND MORE STUDY OF BEHAVIORAL DRUGS

WASHINGTON -- 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."