Spending Soars for Kids' Behavior Drugs

[jamesglewisf]

This really just hacks me off. Let's substitute drugging our kids for parenting.As more children pop pills for attention deficit and other behavior disorders, new figures show spending on those drugs has for the first time edged out the cost of antibiotics and asthma medications for kids.

A 49 percent rise in the use of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder drugs by children under 5 in the last three years contributed to a 23 percent increase in usage for all children, according to an annual analysis of drug use trends by Medco Health Solutions Inc.


"Behavioral medicines have eclipsed the other categories this year," said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer. "It certainly reflects the concern of parents that their children do as well as they can." http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=541&ncid=751&e=8&u=/ap/20040517/ap_on_he_me/kids_behavior_drugs

It starts early with ignoring the bad behavior of your 2 year old. By the time he is 5, 9, 13, or 15; you've already established who is in control -- him.

Grrrrrrrrr...

[jamesglewisf]

Just tonight I was at the grocery store and there were two parents pushing their two pre-school aged boys around in a grocery cart that is shaped like a car. The boys are yelling at the top of their lungs, having fun, and the parents are totally ignoring them. I resisted the temptation to point out that this same behavior in school in 2-5 years will convince them that they both have ADD and need to be medicated. Nip it in the bud. That's nothing that a little discipline can't cure.

Parents these days are lazy and ignorant, espcially parents that are my age.

[theyeti]

We called stuff like this the "medicalization of deviance" in sociology. Pretty soon, if this keeps up, there'll be a pill for anything someone doesn't like. It's sad. People have to stop being so lazy, and put forth a little effort to resolve a problem themselves. You can't always rely on a doctor in life. At least not yet.

[CuriousG]

It's called corporal punishment, and it DOES work when used properly. The television is not a babysitter, nothing substitutes for spending time with your children. Doctors hand out Ridalin and Aderol like its a glass of juice. It really is sad. Whatever happened to people having just plain "bad kids" because they are undisciplined and unacknowledged by their parents?