JUST AN FYI

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

This was an article from a health newsletter I'm d too.

Just thought it would be of interest and maybe it might be of

help to some parents debating whether or not to take a doctors

advise of putting their children on Ritalin. I have printed this article

for future reference to other parents and teachers and hopefully

we can help put a stop to having these children taking this brain

damaging substance.

 

Thank You!

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Ritalin And Cancer Risks

 

American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Treating

Behavioral Disorders in Children with Ritalin Ignores

Evidence of Cancer Risks warns Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.

 

Based on an industry-funded multi-university trial on 282

pre-teen children treated with Ritalin for attention

deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), just published in

Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics has

endorsed the use of the drug. However, the Academy

ignores clear evidence of the drug's cancer risks of

which parents, teachers and school nurses, besides most

pediatricians and psychiatrists, still remain uninformed

and unaware.

 

Some 40 years after the drug was first marketed by Ciba

Geigy, carcinogenicity tests were conducted at the tax

payer's expense by the National Toxicology Program, the

results of which were published in 1995. Adult mice were

fed Ritalin over a two-year period at dosages close to

those prescribed to children. The mice developed a

statistically significant incidence of liver

abnormalities and tumors, including highly aggressive

rare cancers known as hepatoblastomas. These findings are

particularly disturbing as the tests were conducted on

adult, rather than young mice which would be expected to

be much more sensitive to carcinogenic effects. The

National Toxicology Program concluded that Ritalin is a

"possible human carcinogen," and recommended the need for

further research. While still insisting that the drug is

safe, the Food and Drug Administration admitted that

these findings signal "carcinogenic potential," and

required a statement to this effect in the drug's package

insert. However, these inserts are not seen by parents or

nurses.

 

The Physicians' Desk Reference admits evidence on the

carcinogenicity of Ritalin, now manufactured by Novartis,

qualified by the statement that "the significance of

these results is unknown," apparently not recognizing

that this is more alarming than reassuring. Apart from

cancer risks, there is also suggestive evidence that

Ritalin induces genetic damage in blood cells of Ritalin-

treated children.

 

Concerns on Ritalin's cancer risk are more acute in view

of the millions of children treated annually with the

drug and the escalating incidence of childhood cancer, by

some 35% over the last few decades, quite apart from

delayed risks of cancer in adult life. These risks are

compounded by the availability of alternative safe and

effective procedures, notably behavior modification and

biofeedback.

 

There is no justification for prescribing Ritalin, even

by highly qualified pediatricians and psychiatrists,

unless parents have been explicitly informed of the

drug's cancer risks. Otherwise, prescribing Ritalin

constitutes unarguable medical malpractice.