REVIEW KIDS' DRUGS IN PARENTAL KILLINGS

Your group of articles in the Sunday, Feb. 13 Denver Post, detailing
several cases of children killing their parents, was fascinating.
There are many motivations for reading such articles. Mine is to see
if there are any ways to prevent further repeats of these incidents,
in my capacity as a religious volunteer.

Several details of the incidents were brought out in these articles
that had previously been held back as confidential data. However, one
set of data was obviously and consistently missing from these
articles. That is, what drugs were these children taking?

It is now known that several psychiatric drugs commonly prescribed to
troubled children have been prominent factors in violent incidents in
many parts of the United States. That was certainly the case in the
Kip Kinkel incident mentioned in one of the articles and in the
Columbine massacre. We need to know more about this factor, as it is a
troubling possible cause or contributor to child violence. Several
drugs are known to create deep obsessional states.

Naturally, since the manufacturers of these drugs contribute greatly
to advertising revenue, it is understandable that many publications
could be reluctant to bring out the facts in this regard. I now humbly
request that The Denver Post overcome this reluctance, as a service to
our community, and to assist in the prevention of future violent incidents.

Michael Riversong, Wheat Ridge