In May 2007 both The New York Times and USA Today have run major investigations of the rapidly increasing prescriptions of powerful psychiatric drugs, such as the “neuroleptics,” to USA children. MindFreedom asks, “Then why is the State of New York still recommending neuroleptics for three-year-old children?”
Anya Bailey has a painful nerve condition called dystonia, in which the muscles in her back clench as a result of taking an antipsychotic drug. (Fabrizio Costantini for The New York Times)
May 2007 may be a watershed month for the psychiatric drug industry’s abuse of children… if the public speaks out.
On 10 May 2007 The New York Times ran a major investigative article about the way the increased prescribing of psychiatric drugs to USA children may be related to thousands of dollars that drug manufacturers provide to some of the prescribers for lectures, consulting, etc.
The NY Times especially looked at the rapid increase in the use of powerful neuroleptic drugs, also known as “anti-psychotics.” These psychiatric drugs used to be only found in the back wards in the 1950’s, but now are being prescribed to children even as young as two or three years old.
To read The NY Times article click here.
Just a week ago, on 2 May 2007, USA Today ran an entire series of investigative articles about the harm caused by neuroleptic drugs to young people.
To read the USA Today series click here.
MindFreedom’s direct David Oaks commented, “As a survivor of forced neuroleptics when I was a teen, I say there ought to be an emergency congressional investigation of criminal human rights violations by the psychiatric drug and mental health industry.”
So Why Is New York State Pushing Neuroleptics For 3-Year-Olds?
MindFreedom has revealed on its web site that the State of New York is still distributing a brochure entitled “Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders” that endorses the administration of the neuroleptic drug Haldol on three-year-old children.
The brochure carries the name of the previous Governor, but the New York Office of Mental Health is still distributing this material on their web site.
“We call on the new Governor of New York to recall this fraudulent old misinformation that continues to mislead the public, at taxpayer expense,” said Oaks.
To view the State of New York web page with this misinformation go to http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/booklets/ChildrensBook.htm
The link to download the PDF of the brochure is also below.
To e-mail the Governor of New York to request that their brochure “Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders” be immediately recalled, go to this web site http://161.11.121.121/govemail
MindFreedom is also calling for US Congressional investigations and for US State Attorneys General to conduct criminal prosecutions of psychiatric drug industry executives.
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