[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RITALIN AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN NORTHEAST 
                                  OHIO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ose), I am glad to see the gentleman standing up there. 
He looks wonderful.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this great Chamber to talk about a 
report recently aired on my local NBC affiliate, News Channel 3. The 
report highlighted ritalin and the role this drug now plays in the 
lives of students in northeast Ohio. The report raised such concern 
that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and I met with Department 
of Education officials today to direct their attention to this problem 
and request an investigation into the indiscriminate promotion and use 
of this drug and the potential harmful effects.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and I believe the decision to 
prescribe ritalin to a child should rest with that child's physician 
and their parents.
  Oftentimes, ritalin is prescribed to address attention deficit 
disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is widely 
accepted as the remedy of choice for people who suffer from this brain 
disorder. Unfortunately, the medical community has not been able to 
develop a definitive test to properly diagnosis ADD or ADHD related 
behavior. This oftentimes leads to a misdiagnosis.
  The report has highlighted many examples. One, for example, is of Pam 
Edwards whose son Romeal attended a Catholic school in my district and 
was instructed to have her son use ritalin to address his behavior 
problem. In the alternative, her son would not be allowed to return to 
the school the next year if she did not. She refused to put him on this 
drug because she knew the root of her son's problems resulted from 
outside factors instead of an ill-diagnosed case of ADD.

                              {time}  1800

  I am happy to report that Romeal is doing fine in a new school and he 
did not need Ritalin. This is a success story, but there are many more 
Romeals out there whose parents might not have the insight to seek 
alternatives to Ritalin.
  ADD or ADHD is a multiple symptom disorder coupled with the fact that 
many children exhibit a wide range of behavior that might be attributed 
to ADD or ADHD. In actuality it may or may not be that. Kids in fact 
will be kids.
  ADD or ADHD is defined as a persistent pattern of inattention or 
hyperactivity that occurs at four times more frequently in boys than 
girls.
  When a person has been properly diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and 
Ritalin is prescribed, it has a remarkable track record of success. 
Oftentimes the drug is viewed as a godsend by parents and teachers 
alike because its effect is dramatic once prescribed to people who are 
hyperactive or easily distracted as a way to focus their minds, calm 
down and improve their attention spans.
  Recently, at the urging of the National Institutes of Health, medical 
experts from around the country convened a panel discussion with 
doctors to address how Ritalin is being used in our society.
  The use of Ritalin is not only a medical concern but it also is a big 
business. 1.3 million children take Ritalin regularly and sales of the 
drug topped $350 million in 1995.
  According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the number of 
prescriptions for this drug has increased by over 600 percent in the 
last 5 years. To address this concern, manufacturers sent letters to 
doctors and pharmacists warning them to exert greater control over the 
drug.
  No, I am not pointing fingers at the teachers or administrators 
because I know that they are one of America's greatest treasures. I am 
not pointing fingers at doctors or psychologists, but there appears to 
be a trend in my district, and I would guess the 11th Congressional 
District of Ohio is not unique in the use of Ritalin for behavioral 
purposes.
  Nearly half a million prescriptions were written for controlled 
substances like Ritalin in 1995 for children between the ages of 3 and 
6. The percentage of children with an ADHD diagnosis has jumped from 55 
percent in 1989 to 75 percent in 1996. ADHD is estimated to affect 3 
percent to 5 percent of children aged 5 to 14 years old, or about 1.9 
million youngsters. About 10 million prescriptions were written in 
1996. According to the IMS Health Association, 13.9 million 
prescriptions of stimulants, including Ritalin, were dispensed to 
children during the last school year, an 81.2 percent increase from 7.7 
million 5 years earlier.
  There is not a set guideline for diagnosing ADD or ADHD. No studies 
have been conducted in children younger than 4 years. For example, in 
Chicago, one of the ways that they have begun to deal with the issue is 
a public school system will address ADHD by offering teaching 
techniques.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) for 
assisting me and supporting me in this effort.

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