The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) of Florida, a non-profit mental health watchdog dedicated to protection of children, is calling for an investigation into the heavy psychiatric drugging of children; especially foster children, in Florida.
A report from the research arm of Florida’s child-protection system released in 2015 showed that foster children are being put on psychotropic medications without caregivers following proper procedures and that 11 percent of the children in foster care had active prescriptions for at least one psychotropic drug. While a review of 140 children’s files showed just 20 percent of these children met all the key requirements for administering such medication.[i]
Following the tragic death of 7-year-old Gabriel Myers in 2009, who was found hanging from a shower fixture in his foster home after having been prescribed two “black box” drugs intended for adults – the Florida policies for using psychotropic drugs on foster kids were updated but this has not solved the problem.
The psychiatric drugging of children is not just confined to the foster care system. In 2011 a two-year investigation concluded that kids in Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Texas were “prescribed psychotropic drugs at rates 2.7 to 4.5 times higher than other children in Medicaid in 2008.”[ii]
Currently 8 million U.S. children are being prescribed psychiatric drugs, with more than 1 million between the ages of zero to five.[iii] Children are being drugged simply because psychiatry has pathologized normal childhood behaviors, and repackaged them as “mental disorders.” The result is that millions of children are being drugged for behaviors reclassified by psychiatry as “disease.”
As a result, CCHR is calling for an investigation into the psychiatric drugging of children in the United States. Individuals are invited to the center, located at 109 N. Fort Harrison Avenue in downtown Clearwater, to learn more about the dangers associated with psychiatric drugs as well as alternatives to medication. To learn more, please call 727-442-8820.
Sources:
[i] http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2015/09/22/report-finds-florida-foster-kids-put-on-psychotropic-drugs-without-following-proper-procedures
[ii] http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/12/01/143017520/foster-kids-even-infants-more-likely-to-be-given-psychotropic-drugs
[iii] https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/children-on-psychiatric-drugs/
Mental Health Watchdog Calling for Investigation into Psychiatric Drugging of Millions of Children
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Contact CCHR Florida
109 N. Fort Harrison Ave.
Clearwater, Florida 33755
Tel: 1-800-782-2878
Typo fixed:
The history of adoption started with forced adoption-all adoptions were forced and single *others (mothers) had their children literally stolen from them
CCHR should be aware that many adopted children also suffer un-needed drugging at the hands of adopters. The immoral and abusive act of closed adoption especially causes kids emotional difficulties and then control freak adoptive parents turn to psychiatry to abuse kids even more. And to shut up their pain and frustration instead of caring about it.The Children’s Home Society right here in Florida is a horrible place and they vie to keep the records closed to children adopted through them. I wonder if they are involved at all with the over drugging of foster kids. I wouldn’t doubt it. Open adoption causes children many problems as well and once again the child is scapegoated instead of their feelings being respected by the adoption industry, social workers and adopters. The history of adoption started with forced adoption-all adoptions were forced and single others had their children literally stolen from them. Most single mothers today are badgered and broken down by prospective adopters and social workers to sign papers they don’t want to sign. Incidentally psychiatric drugs (thorazine) were used on single mothers at times to make them cave to give their newborns away and phenobarbital was used on infants to shut them up in foster homes as they cried for their mothers. Adoption, foster care and psychiatry all go hand in hand, and the lot of them hurt kids, destroy their identities and stunt their growth psychologically, spiritually and emotionally. All three of these professions will profoundly deny they are abusive to kids as well.