That gave me a nasty flash back to the last ambulance call I ran, and that baby had only had her arm dunked in the pot. After that, I stuck to the Fire Engines, We still saw plenty of messes, especially 10-50's, but somehow it was not as bad.
Don't sweat that, it was a long time ago and has been dealt with.
It seems to me that many of these drugs cannot be quit cold turkey without some adverse effects. Without some supervision to at least make sure the meds are there, anyone taking such a substance is a potential serious risk to themselves and others. Klebold and Harris (Columbine) had been medicated, as had Kip Kinkel (involved in an Oregon, HS shooting). With more medicated people out there, we are seeing more of this. I am not sure if it is the drugs while present in their system, although that is one instance, but stopping them may be as bad.
I make no claim to be an expert, but I'd exhaust EVERY possibility before putting any child on meds, although that seems to be the trend. Amazingly, diet seems to be a factor, and good parenting, (really caring and spending time with your kids) another, in not having problems. It seems like 'mother's little helper' (Rolling Stones song) has run amok, taking the place of bothering to care for kids, self, the elderly. That is the sad part of our culture, that we are caught up in the pursuit of things, when the contributions we make to our kids are the greatest thing we will do in this life==if we make them.
I agree with your view of prescribing drugs. I feel we should prescribe about 10 percent of the drugs now prescribed. With all the good modern medicine affords, it is a big part of the problem today for many unusual behaviors. I do not accept that they are a valid excuse for such behaviors. A sick little secret in medicine is when you are seeing someone and they drone on and on and on the doctor (who is a person too) has his eyes glaze over and often seek an exit. The quickest way to do this is to write a prescription and get out of the room, rather than reasoning with a patient. It is many a patient I have gotten angry with me for not writing the script. I am lucky, though, because in the field I am in, I fix things and people get better (surgery). If your practice requires a large volume of patients, you are trying to herd them through like cattle through a chute. This is part of the problem. Look at commercials today telling people to gol in and ask your doctor to prescribe this or that drug. It's like they demand a reward for coming in. Some do the same on a street corner. It's like Willy Nelson said in his song from "Electric Horseman", 'when it seems the whole world is spinning of in space."
Add this to a society that is obsessed with illegal drugs to "feel good." and heaven help us... oh, yes, now they know accutane can cause all sorts of problems, too.