Arutz Sheva
January 23, 2007
(IsraelNN.com) MK Yoram Marciano (Labor) proposed a law Monday that would severely restrict the rights of parents to medicate their children with Ritalin. In recent years, critics have accused parents or school authorities of seeking to have children who are overactive prescribed Ritalin in order to “calm them down,” and the drug has been implicated in a number of negative youth behaviors.
The law would require a lengthy registration and supervision process by the Health Ministry for any child being given Ritalin, with preference being given to other methods of dealing with the conditions for which it would otherwise be prescribed.
Marciano attributed the recent upswing in the number of children being given Ritalin in Israel to increased sales activity by drug companies.
“The drug companies have launched a massive campaign recently to convince psychiatrists, doctors, teachers and parents of the wonders of Ritalin — while many experts in countries around the world believe there is nothing wonderful about this drug at all,” he said.
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