House OKs Ban on Forcing Kids' Medication

AP via Excite News ^ | May 21, 2003 | ELIZABETH WOLFE

[LurkedLongEnough]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House voted Wednesday to prohibit schools from making children with behavioral or mental problems take medication in order to attend class.

Under the bill, passed 425-1, states receiving federal education money must make sure schools do not coerce parents into medicating their children.

"School personnel may have good intentions, but parents should never be required to decide between their child's education and keeping them off potentially harmful drugs," said Rep. Max Burns, R-Ga., who sponsored the legislation.

In recent decades, more children have been diagnosed with attention deficit or hyperactivity disorders and prescribed drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall.

The prevalence of forced medication as a precondition for attending class has never been established. The bill, called the Child Medication Safety Act, provides for a congressional investigation into the use of psychotropic medication in schools.

Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., who voted against the bill, "believed it was a solution looking for a problem," said her spokesman, Aaron Hunter.

Several states have already moved to ban schools from requiring medication.

Mary Crosby, governmental affairs director at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, called the bill unnecessary and thinks the issue could be better resolved at the local level. She condemned the practice but questioned the necessity of federal legislation until the extent of the problem becomes clearer.

Addressing concerns that such a law would stifle communication between schools and parents about a child's behavior or mental health, lawmakers added a provision that allows teachers to bring up any problems they observe.

==

On the Net:

Information on the bill, H.R. 1170, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology: http://www.aacap.org

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., is the only one to vote against this bill. Any connection to Gray-Out Davis??????

[smith288]

Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., who voted against the bill, "believed it was a solution looking for a problem," said her spokesman, Aaron Hunter.

She believes pumping ridalin in kids is not a problem?

[Walnut]

Its hard to believe in this day and age that anyone anywhere could force a parent to give a child medication for any reason. even vaccinations are not forced on kids if the family has a religious objection.of course there is always home schooling if you have the time or inclination to do so..

[Buffalo Bob]

This must be a shock for Big Pharamacutical. I guess they're just gonna have to pony up to the bar with more bucks for lobbying.

My guess is that their 5 year forecasts are depending on ever-more drugging of Amerika's childen. They are not going to like this one damn bit.

[trebb]

But...but...teachers won't have narcotic baby-sitters. They'll have to deal with real kids. Makes me wonder how the hell we managed before the drug companies started coining all these new diseases to go along with the "medicines" they invent, then have to try to figure out what to use them on...

I get disgusted when the commercials show someone smiling, etc., and throw out the name of a drug and tell you to "Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you", and never bother to mention what the heck the drug is for...

[epluribus_2]

this will get rejected by more reflective consideration by Senate MODERATES (read: Repubs scared of Dems like bunnies) in their more "deliberative" style to be reexamined in a few decades...

[BossLady]

"She condemned the practice but questioned the necessity of federal legislation until the extent of the problem becomes clearer."

Unfortunately, it had to come down to this with certain states mandating drugs to kids whether people wanted it or not. Maybe someone is finally listening.....(crossing fingers...toes....eyeballs.....)

[cwb]

"I get disgusted when the commercials show someone smiling, etc., and throw out the name of a drug and tell you to "Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you", and never bother to mention what the heck the drug is for.."

Don't worry...congress is supposedly looking into to that, also. I think it was either Rush or Hannity who was talking about a Bill to prevent pharmaceutical companies from advertising on TV. While I understand your concerns in this paricular instance, I think the government is going nuts. If they do anything, get those damn lawyer ads off the TV.

[Sacajaweau]

Hooray for the children and their parents. A friend took her child out of school after the teacher said he wiggled all the time and obviously had ADS. (He was getting all A's).

My son ground his teeth and the dentist said to put him on medication. I was young and talked with my aunt about it (she was a nurse). She didn't think it was a good idea as he was only 5 at the time. He had no problems in school or at home. He still grinds his teeth but gave up his nail biting. He graduated from Syracuse University with honors.

[dbreidenbach]

"Addressing concerns that such a law would stifle communication between schools and parents about a child's behavior or mental health, lawmakers added a provision that allows teachers to bring up any problems they observe."

As mandated reporters for the state, teachers could still call CPS on parents when they think they know what's best for the kids. "Medical neglect" is already defined in federal regulations to mandate states to initiate termination of parental rights, so this bill is absolutely useless.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

The NEA will fight this tooth and nail. Kids "diagnosed" with ADD/ADHD/etc allow schools to claim FEDERAL funds for managing children with "disabilities." To the tune of hundreds of dollars per student, this equates to several teacher's salaries at large schools.

Follow the money.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Halla-freepin-lueiah! About time somebody told these control freak school administrators where to stick their Ritalin.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Makes me wonder how the hell we managed before the drug companies started coining all these new diseases to go along with the "medicines" they invent, then have to try to figure out what to use them on...

My latest favorite is the Lamisil pill to deal with the dreaded yellow fungus that lives under your toenails.

One wonders how mankind managed muddle through the ages in the face of such a perilous scourge.

[cksharks]

This is the first sensible piece of legislation that these POS'have passed in two years.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Connecticut takes a different approach altogether, disallowing kids from taking their own OTC medications in school and requiring a physician's order to allow a school nurse to administer OTC medications like Tylenol ofr pain or headache. Here's an excerpt from a camp brochure explaining the policy:

Question: May unlicensed program staff administer are over-the-counter medication without the order of an authorized prescriber?

Answer: No, even an over-the-counter (non-prescription) medication other than described above must have an order by an authorized prescriber. Some examples of over-the-counter medications include calamine/caladryl lotion, Bacitracin ointment, Tylenol, and hydrocortisone cream.

Go figure.

[cksharks]

Its a damn good thing you dont take any life saving medication because with that attitude you would die rather than take any MEDS.

[IronJack]

bookmark

[mabelkitty]

Well, they weren't very successful with vouchers, so I doubt it.

[mabelkitty]

That has nothing to do with anything she just said.