Marguerite
Active Member
My phone was going crazy this morning. Apparently the news hit the streets this morning with one of our more dubious newspapers, that ADHD is being overdiagnosed and that ritalin is a dangerous drug that produces criminals. One of our judges in Sydney has drawn his own conclusions, based on the number of delinquents he sees who were prescribed ritalin when younger. From this he assumes that ritalin is to blame for these kids going to the bad.
As one of our radio stations said this morning and one of the comments mentions, this is like blaming medication for blood pressure, for a stroke the patient has because the medication didn't work well enough.
And as so often happens when somebody publishes something sensationalist and gratuitous, the other media outlets have been scrambling to get their hands on the same story, if only to debunk it.
I'm left wondering if this judge is moving towards publishing a book, or aiming for a Family Court promotion, or a media spokesperson job. This smacks of sensationalist publicity for the purpose of self-promotion.
OK, I know a lot of parents do not agree with medicating their kids, but that is their choice. When people in positions of responsibility make outrageous claims from outside their area of expertise, people still believe it. That belief does a lot of harm.
A few media people were doing the right thing and burying this story. Others covered it in a balanced way, by including information from medical people with experience in this area. But there are always those who can sniff controversy and ratings in the wind.
I hope this idiotic debate stays on our side of the world, but just in case, here's a heads up.
Marg
As one of our radio stations said this morning and one of the comments mentions, this is like blaming medication for blood pressure, for a stroke the patient has because the medication didn't work well enough.
And as so often happens when somebody publishes something sensationalist and gratuitous, the other media outlets have been scrambling to get their hands on the same story, if only to debunk it.
I'm left wondering if this judge is moving towards publishing a book, or aiming for a Family Court promotion, or a media spokesperson job. This smacks of sensationalist publicity for the purpose of self-promotion.
OK, I know a lot of parents do not agree with medicating their kids, but that is their choice. When people in positions of responsibility make outrageous claims from outside their area of expertise, people still believe it. That belief does a lot of harm.
A few media people were doing the right thing and burying this story. Others covered it in a balanced way, by including information from medical people with experience in this area. But there are always those who can sniff controversy and ratings in the wind.
I hope this idiotic debate stays on our side of the world, but just in case, here's a heads up.
Marg