Fight For Kids: Stars Back Parents' Fight Against Coercive Psychiatric Drugging of Schoolchildren

PRESS RELEASE:

February 15, 2003
Contact: Marla Filidei
humanrights@cchr.org
1-800-869-2247

STARS BACK PARENTS' FIGHT AGAINST COERCIVE PSYCHIATRIC DRUGGING OF SCHOOLCHILDREN

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Juliette Lewis, Priscilla Presley
and Anne Archer

LOS ANGELES: On Saturday, February 15th, at the Citizens Commission on Human Rights Awards banquet, Priscilla Presley, Eduardo Palomo (Kingpin), and Gina St. John presented Human Rights Awards to individuals who have fought to expose the increasing pressure schools are placing on parents to drug their children. Reports of parents being threatened with medical neglect or child expulsion have prompted several states to enact state laws prohibiting school personnel from recommending psychiatric drugs, and reinforcing a parents' right to refuse drug treatment. Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia have passed such laws over the past two years.

Since 2003, 11 more states have introduced similar laws, including Hawaii, Texas, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia. More than a dozen legislators representing eight states attended the ceremony in support of the issue.

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Catherine Bell

Also participating in the event were presenter Juliette Lewis and Anne Archer, as Mistress of Ceremonies. Both Academy Award nominated actresses are strong supporters of CCHR, and have been publicly active in criticizing the practice of prescribing psychiatric drugs to children.

Presley awarded Michigan father Lawrence Smith, an outspoken critic of schools coercing parents to drug their children, since his 14-year-old son Matthew died in 2000 from a heart attack. The coroner ruled death from the long-term use of a stimulant forced on him through his school. Smith was threatened with charges of emotional and medical neglect for his reluctance to drug his son.

Gina St. John awarded Texas psychologist and author Dr. John Breeding for his work with the Texas State Board of Education, which, in 2001 passed a resolution recommending that schools use non-drug solutions for problems of attention and learning.

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Eduardo Palomo

His highly acclaimed book, The Wildest Colts Make the Best Horses, exposes the lack of science behind child psychiatric disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He has also been a critic of electroshock treatment, especially its use in children. Texas prohibits the use of electroshock on children under the age of twelve.

Recently, the Office of the U.S. Inspector General found the practice of "multiple seizure" electroshock treatments created a greater risk for patients and found no evidence to substantiate its workability. In April, Medicare will no longer cover this practice, helping to save children in other states from this violent procedure.

Eduardo Palomo presented an award to legendary Mexican journalist Ricardo Rocha, whose documentary "Drugs for Children: Heaven and Hell" exposed the massive increases in stimulant sales in Mexico. Stimulant sales increased from $320,000 in 1993 to nearly $3 million in 1998. For the first time, a major television show—reaching more than 25 million people—alerted Mexican officials, schools and other media to the dangers of psychiatric drugging of children.

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Lynsey Bartilson

Italian doctor Giorgio Antonucci was presented his human rights award by Juliette Lewis who called him "heroic" for helping hundreds of "incurable" patients in Italy's asylums. Many of the patients had been incarcerated for 20 years, often strapped to their beds. Against tremendous opposition from his peers, Dr. Antonucci repeatedly dismantled some of the most oppressive psychiatric wards in Italy, by ensuring that patients were treated with respect and without the use of drugs.

Hundreds of doctors, politicians, celebrities, human rights activists and parent groups attended the awards banquet in Los Angeles, in celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a psychiatric watchdog organization established by the Church of Scientology in 1969 to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights.

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