RITALIN RESOLUTION

An effort by the Colorado Board of Education to discourage excess reliance
on Ritalin and other drugs probably won't spark similar initiatives around
the country. But it should at least get people talking.

Ritalin production and use have increased 700 percent since 1990. The United
States uses 90 percent of the world's Ritalin, prompting concern from the
United Nations International Narcotics Control Board.

Ritalin is commonly prescribed for attention-deficit disorder or
hyperactivity and is considered effective in 80 to 90 percent of patients.
But critics say it's often prescribed to address behavioral problems that
don't justify the use of a brain-altering drug.

The Colorado resolution approved Nov. 11 is aimed at the perceived abuse of
Ritalin. It's targeted at front-line educators who would suggest parents
investigate Ritalin to deal with disruptive children.

Proponents also were concerned about violent crimes committed by young
people who were on mood-altering drugs at the time of their offense. Eric
Harris, one of the two shooters in the Columbine High School massacre, had
been taking Luvox, another behavioral drug, although there has been no
evidence suggesting the drug induced his actions.

The Colorado resolution has no binding effect, but casts a needed spotlight
on the issue. Dr. Peter Breggin, director of the International Center for
the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, told the New York Times that doctors
have become too eager to prescribe psychotropic drugs to satisfy parents and
teachers.

"We're drugging them into submission rather than identifying and meeting the
genuine needs of the family, the school and the community," he said.

His comments echo a recent article in Scientific American that suggested
environmental changes, such as highly structured classrooms, may be
effective in addressing ADD and a more complicated diagnosis of ADHD
(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The article by Russell A. Barkley cited new research challenging the notion
that the disorder is a simple attention problem stemming from an inability
of the brain to filter competing sensory stimuli, such as sights and sounds.
Rather, it may be a self-control problem, an inability to inhibit motor
responses to these sensations.

The implications of the research are huge for teachers because it means they
can supplant or complement drug regimens by behavioral management techniques
that rely on immediate consequences and rewards and structured learning.
That's a lot more work than giving a child a pill.

Dr. Lawrence Diller, author of Running on Ritalin, was one of the first to
question use of Ritalin as a first choice for difficult children. He
prescribes Ritalin to the kids who clearly need it, he says, but believes it
has become a substitute for good parenting and good schools.

Ritalin will allow almost anyone to perform better or become more methodical
with tasks they find difficult or boring, so discouraging its use won't be
an easy sell.

The Colorado board has taken a courageous stand that should get the whole
country asking: Why are so many of our young people on Ritalin?