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92_HR0692
LRB9216187RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The use of psychiatric drugs in our nation's
3 schools has more than doubled in the first half of the last
4 decade and continues to escalate; and
5 WHEREAS, Production of these drugs has increased by more
6 than 700% since 1990; and
7 WHEREAS, The number of schoolchildren taking these drugs
8 is approaching the 4 million mark; and
9 WHEREAS, Recent media stories have brought increased
10 scrutiny to this uniquely American large-scale use of
11 psychotropic drugs in our schools; and
12 WHEREAS, Recent books such as "No more ADHD" by Dr. Mary
13 Ann Block, "Ritalin Nation: Rapid-Fire Culture and the
14 Transformation of Human Consciousness", and Lawrence H.
15 Diller's "Running on Ritalin: A Physician Reflects on
16 Children Society and Performance in a Pill" have provided
17 important viewpoints and information to the public debate on
18 the dangers of the drugging of our children; and
19 WHEREAS, Public health issues such as lead poisoning,
20 thyroid deficiencies, and malnutrition are known to decrease
21 student academic performance; and
22 WHEREAS, Advances in medicine offer additional
23 opportunities to identify and treat underlying physiological
24 abnormalities and deficiencies that may contribute to
25 decreases in student performances; such abnormalities and
26 deficiencies have been shown to place students at risk of
27 being identified as slow learners or behavioral problems; and
28 WHEREAS, The state of Connecticut has recently passed
29 legislation prohibiting non-medical personnel from suggesting
30 behavioral problems are the result of ADD or ADHD; and
-2- LRB9216187RHrh
1 WHEREAS, Public officials are frequently asked to provide
2 policy guidance on this issue without a clear understanding
3 of the medical and scientific issues attending the use of
4 psychotropic drugs on our school children; therefore, be it
5 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7 we recognize the following recommendations of the National
8 Foundation of Women Legislator's Special Education
9 Sub-Committee, which include:
10 (1) A review by scientific, educational, and medical
11 professionals of the physiological risk factors associated
12 with decreases in academic performances and behavior;
13 (2) Recommendations on screening procedures to identify
14 children at risk due to physiological abnormalities and
15 deficiencies; and
16 (3) Recommendations of non-drug treatment options or
17 model legislation to decrease the occurrence of these risk
18 factors in our school-age population; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to the Director of Public Health.