Friday, February 18, 2005

MANY GOOD COMMENTS TO CHARLES ABOUT THE ISSUE OF RITALIN!!!!!

For you newcomers? This is a list of comments that was sent to me by many readers of the reson we need a committee to study the issue of Ritalin!
Enjoy!!!




Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:50:58 -0800 (PST)
From: "charles leblanc" View Contact Details
Subject: COMMENTS FROM READERS!!!!
To: "oldmaison"


1-Before getting to Fredericton and meeting Charles
Leblanc I though that
Ritalin was a French actor.
I learned a lot about Ritalin from
Charlie since that first day back in
2OO3 and it has help me to understand the possible
side affects of this
drug.
When it was sugested that one of my grandchildren
should be on it, I
explained to my daugther what I had learned about it.
My grandson isn't on it and I'm glad he is not on it,
because there are
other alternatives.
Thank you Charles,
< POLITICIAN >

===============================================================

2-Hi there Charles,

There is something not right today there are to many
kids on
Ritalin. Kids today are so hyper, even kids that are
not on Ritalin,
kids are so high- strung. So is it the food that we
are eating
today our environment? maybe the government needs to
look into
this.

==========================================================================

3-Salut Charles,

Oui, je pense que le gouvernement du Nouveau-Brunswick
devrait établir
une
enquête sur l'utilisation du ritalin auprès des
enfants.

< PRETRE >
==========================================================================

4-Charles-
I believe the government should study Ritalin usage in
the province,
both to gauge its
effeteness as a product and to investigate whether it
is over
prescribed.

==========================================================================

5-Charlie-

There is no good long term effects with ritalin, in
most cases these
children that are given ritalin become drug addicts in
later life. I

There needs to be a documented study done and a follow
up to see what
goes
on with these children when they grow up and I think
that they would
find
that they began a very dangerous cycle by giving the
children ritalin
as a
child.

The government is to blame for all children that was
given ritalin as a
child and grew up to be a drug addict. They could of
done something
and
they chose to do nothing and education is the key to
fully understand
all
that is available for the child in need. It does not
have to be mind
altering drugs..........there are other non-stimulant
alternatives!

========================================================================

6-
Charles
Would parents give children cocaine.....of course
not............but on
the
other hand parents think that because it comes in a
pill form and the
doctors prescribe it that it must be ok............of
course not
because
its cocaine in a pill and they are giving it to their
children and they
will pay later that is for sure.

=========================================================================

7-I think that the Human Rights Commission's decision
that "adults who take Ritalin are close to mental
retardation" is totally insane and they really need to
do some intensive research with knowledgeable people
on the subject of ADHD. They are still back in the
turn of the century. They should all be replaced!!!!!
Doctors have made great scientific discoveries of how
the brain works over the most recent years. Many
adults with ADHD are documented Geniuses and have
changed the world with inventions and discoveries.
They are the movers and shakers in our world that get
things done. The HRC people need to open their
brains...their out dated beliefs sound more like they
have Mental Retardation!

=============================================================

8-YES!!!! I AGREE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MOST
DEFINATELY DO A STUDY ON THE ISSUE OF RITALIN!!!!

======================================================================

9-I most defiantly have views against any one taking
drugs of any kind- if not needed. And there are side
effects- to any drug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
Kids are facing side effects, at an early age. These
are not like Grandpa's heart pills>that are more
needed than the side effects....This is drug addiction
to the most vulnerable of people at a young
age,,>>that will make them unhealthy and addicted to
worse drugs later on in life...and who cares??????
The government should because the children are the
future! And, why shouldn't this be
studied????????????????????!!!!!!!!!


==========================================================================

10-
Ritalin in and of itself is not necessarily a bad
thing.
For those who actually need the drug. It is a God
send.
The problem begins when we use the drug as a quick fix

to control behavioral problems in kids.
Not only should the province conduct a study
to examine whether Ritalin is being over prescribed,
the medical community should examine whether
physicians
are too quick to take the word of teachers and social
workers in diagnosing whether or not a child has
ADD/ADHD.
Protocols should be put in place and criteria set to
determine whether a patient actually has these
disorders
and is a candidate for Ritalin or if there are some
other
underlying reasons for their behavioral problems.
If the latter is fond to be true, those problems
should be
dealt with appropriately.

==========================================================================

11-
Hi Charles, as you know, at the present time, Ritalin
can only be
prescribed by a physician. My background and
experience is in Education but
as educators, we could not determine who or how many
students received
the medication.
Are you requesting that a specific committee study
the issue? A
committee of course, could not tell physicians which
medications to
prescribe. These matters are determined by those with
expertise in the medical
profession.
Best Regards, < POLITICIAN >
======================================================================

12-
I think that some one should study more on Ritalin !!

=======================================================================

13-
Charles -
I agree that a major study should be done of this. My
information, anecdotal and from some physicians, is
that Ritalin is way over prescribed.

============================================================================

14-
Charles,

bien sûr qu'il devrait y avoir des études sur
l'utilisation abusive du
Ritalin chez les enfants! Bonne année , Charles!

==========================================================================

15-
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 13:04:22 -0400 (Atlantic
Standard Time)
From: "Carol Mullin" View
Contact Details

To: oldmaison@yahoo.com
Subject: Kids on Ritalin

Hi Charles: When you asked me if I would like to be
on your update list, I had no idea that I would be
bombarded with e-mails every day - and long ones at
that. I am too busy to respond to everything you
send. (Do you not have a job, Charles? Is this all
you do all day?) But this is an important issue and
it is commendable that you spend your life fighting
the system and making waves. Too bad more people
wouldn't get on board to make many voices heard and
listened to. As for myself, I am the quiet type and
don't make much noise, but I also have opinions on
this subject.

I run the Fredericton ADHD Education & Support Group
and try to be a good listener. We have speakers some
months and just chat sessions other months. It is
important that people dealing with the stress and
struggles of ADHD have others who know what they are
going through and are able to discuss it with people
who truly understand. Nothing is more frustrating
than being told that it is due to bad parenting
skills. Sometimes, but not always. It takes a lot of
strength and patience to parent this type of child.
Alot of the parents have it themselves too, so dealing
with their difficult children is quite a challenge!!!
Many people with non-ADHD children say "Oh, I know
what you are going through, dear. " When in fact, they
haven't a clue what it is like! "What he/she needs is
a good spanking!" Or "you didn't spank them enough
when they were little" Like hitting them will make
them grow up to be respectful and loving adults. What
about their self-esteem????Oh...I could go on and on!!
But back to the subject of Ritalin...YES...THE
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO AN INTENSIVE STUDY ON THIS
ISSUE!!!!

I do agree that too many children are put on Ritalin.
An awful lot of them are just hyper and act
inappropriately to what society deems as acceptable
behavior. Due to a lot of different reasons, such as:
too much sugar in their food and drinks, allergies to
certain foods cause extreme behavior changes, our
foods are loaded with dangerous chemicals that alter
the body functioning, some families do not have enough
boundaries and structure, some parents do not have a
good support system or were abused children themselves
and don't have good parenting skills. These children
are often put on Ritalin as a solution or Band-Aid,
instead of investigating the many possibilities that
could be causing the problem. There are clinics here
that can test for food allergies, and organic sections
in our stores for better nutritional choices. We are
all being slowly poisoned by our chemical laden food
supply and breathing in chemical laden air every
day!!!

But then on the other side of the issue, are the ones
who truly do have a chemical imbalance in their
brains. They do have ADHD and they benefit greatly
from having the chemical added to their systems to
help the brain work the way it was intended to. Most
often it is hereditary or caused by trauma to the
brain. It is unfortunate that in Canada, the testing
for this is very minimal, and ends up being an
assumption by the teachers and the medical doctors
based on behavior and questionaires. In the States
there is "brain imaging" that actually shows the way
the brain is working during certain times and under
certain conditions. Tells the doctors what part of
the brain is malfunctioning due to chemical imbalances
as compared to the imaging of a brain not affected by
ADHD. Tells about lots of other symptoms as well. To
bad we don't have the technology here in Canada.

Giving Ritalin to someone who truly does have ADHD,
can give them the opportunity to improve the way their
brain can focus, can help them slow down and be like
the other people around them, which in turn gives them
more self-esteem and satisfaction in their
achievements. Many can do things well while on the
medication that they could never do before . Helps
them to concentrate and do well in school, instead of
most often failing in what they attempt or cannot
finish. It could be the difference between having a
parent proud of their child's behavior or
accomplishments, as opposed to having a parent who is
always yelling and unhappy with their child's bad
behavior and attitude. They grow up in a negative
atmosphere or a positive one. This can really affect
the way the child matures and what they are like as
adults and parents themselves.

You may use this in your column with my name attached,
if you like. I speak from the heart and I sincerely
care.
Carol Mullin, Fredericton ADHD Education & Support
Group

=========================================================================

16-
Charles
I agree with you 100%

=======================================================================

17-Je ne suis pas convaincue que c'est la réponse; la
première des choses
c'est les parents qui décident de donner le Ritalin
aux enfants pas le
docteur (le docteur le prescrit mais c'est encore les
parents qui ont
le dernier mot) ou le gouvernement. Nous sommes tous
au courant du
danger du Ritalin alors qu'est-ce qu'une étude
changerait vraiment?

=======================================================================

18-
Charles-
As a parent of a child with ADHD, and another child
with autism, I want to comment on the reason why
someone needs to look at the high prescription use of
Ritalin and/or related medications. Ritalin is often
prescribed quickly, similar to a "knee-jerk" reaction
as often by the time parents get to a physician they
are at their wits end. Coupled with this is
escalating hyper behaviour at home, and school, where
the teacher and/or a principal are concerned and
suggest the parent seek medical help in the form of
Ritalin. I witnessed it said myself...."there are
pills to help with that you know...I think he has
ADHD". No teacher, education official, nurse,
rehabilitation therapist has the right to diagnose
ADHD, let alone be so bold as to say it directly to
parents. Only a physician has the right to assess and
diagnose....it is the law! And other professionals
need to be told to remain within their boundaries.
Appropriate assessments need to be done on the child
both psychological and medical. Ritalin is a band-aid
and does not get to the root of the problem. Once
"triggers" for this hyper behaviour are identified,
Ritalin might be prescribed as a means to help settle
the child, while at the same time parents and
professionals are teaching the child coping
strategies, and techniques on anger management, etc.
The list is exhaustive. Ritalin should only be
prescribed after a "double-blind" study is completed
to make sure Ritalin would indeed be appropriate.
Ritalin does have its place but is needs to be done
allot more judiciously!!!!
One must look at why the child is behaving the way he
is.....is it diet related(to much refined sugars,
etc).....can the child filter out the noise level in
the classroom which causes him not to hear what the
teacher is saying, therefore increases frustration
and negative behaviour, in this case an FM System may
be needed, audiologly may need to get involved to
determine if the child has a Central Auditory
Processing Disorder....does he have the social skills
to make friends, if not he needs to learn these
skills....what is the home-life like, is there a poor
family situation, do the parents argue in front of the
children, are the parents/parent spending time with
their child. The television is not a
parent....parents needs to get involved in their
child's life. If the child is involved in sports etc,
just don't drop off the child and leave"for a break"
but volunteer to coach, stay and cheer on the game.
Hang out with your child more, watch a movie together,
go sliding or skiing together, read together.....get
the family time happening. Praise your child and help
build up their self-esteem, which by now is very low
and they consider themselves "stupid". People can say
what they will.....but the family unit is in trouble
in today's "quick" society and these children are a
result of that.
Is there a problem with the over-use of Ritalin...YES.
Should the Government study this issue...YES. If
Ritalin and related medications are not
prescribed/used properly....it is definitely the
stepping stone to further drug addictions for these
individuals. In New Brunswick we have a problem!!!!
So people get your heads out of the sand an start
dealing with this problem. It is bigger than you
think.

=========================================================================

19-
I think that ritalin alters who a child is, it's a
serious thing when a doctor prescribes drugs for a
child. If you aren't happy with the child that you
gave birth to, then perhaps you should never have had
children at all. It's no human beings place to alter a
child that god created.

=========================================================================

20-
I understand there are drugs in the market, and
extensively used, whose side effect include sudden
death. That should take care of any health problems,
permanently.

There is indeed need for lot more scrutiny of
pharmaceutical companies than currently exists.

========================================================================

21-
what do u have against ritilin?? It has helped many
children and families.

=======================================================

22-

Charlie-
I agree that a study should be undertaken on the
issue of Ritalin prescriptions being given to
children.
There is too much of this going on and it seems to
usually be based on a teacher's information to a
doctor
who then prescribes the drug. One answer would be for
more teachers and/or teacher's aides to be hired but
we
know that's not going to happen. The class sizes are
probably too large for one teacher to handle so if
there
is a child with ADHD, or even a child who's a little
over active, the way they get around it is to drug the
child. I don't blame just the teachers. Doctors too
have to be responsible in this issue. Drugs are too
easily handed out these days - that includes
penicillin
which is given for almost anything now and in my
opinion
when a severe infection develops later on the drug
will
have to be stronger and better to fight the infection.
An immunity is built up after so many times being
prescribed
and it just won't work that well anymore.
Another problem of course is that there are so many
households
with either both parents working or it is a single
parent home
where that parent has to work long hours or two jobs
just to
make ends meet. That leaves little spare time to
spend with
kids who desperately need supervision, coordinating
their
activities, and maybe just quiet time with a parent
just
talking or reading a book. People just seem too busy
to spend
time where it's needed with their kids and they depend
on
teachers to fill that need.
All this is very easy for me to say because I don't
have kids
myself but I do have brothers and sisters who have
kids and I
see how hard it is for them to find the time needed to
nurture
the kids and spend "quality time" with them.
Anyway, I'm starting to rant a bit. Bottom line -
there is a
definite need for a study on the issue of Ritalin.

HAPPY NEW YEAR CHARLIE.

===================================================================


23-
yes they should study our children and grandchildren,
these are our
future.

====================================================================

24-
Hi there….

I would like to present an alternative question for
your consideration.
why not have the members of parliament tested for add
and adhd? I am
sure that
among the pill-pushers of the medical community you
could find at least
one to
certify that the elected members who talk during the
session while
others are
speaking are obviously in need of drugs to be able to
concentrate. and
those
who get up and walk around or send notes out to others
are visibly
interfering
with the attention of others in the chamber, so they
too must be
narcotized
into correct behavior.
after all, is the definition of adhd merely that the
person is not
paying
attention to other persons? most particularly, any
person who is not
concentrating on a self-important person is judged to
be lacking in
mental
skills, demonstrating a lack of social skills and
generally exhibiting
an
inability to learn from instruction.
I am sure that a camera placed in the media gallery of
the house would
provide
all the necessary proof of the existence of this
scourge in our society
which
must be eradicated at all costs, even if the society
is destroyed in
the
process.

I find it difficult to answer the question of why
study the issue of
Ritalin.
the facts of the issue are not at issue, there is a
sufficient amount
of
history and accumulated knowledge to warrant the
further investigation
of both
the drug itself and the application of the drug. that
there exists
public
outcry in more than one country and language by itself
should provide
the
necessary impetus to at least question the
circumstances of the use of
the
drug.
unfortunately, the issue of Ritalin is one which will
open more
questions than
the elected and un-elected leaders wish to see in
public. given that
the issue
of Ritalin is a school issue, investigating the use of
Ritalin will
call into
question the structure of the education system, and
more importantly,
will
bring to the general public the worst question that
could be raised:
what is
the purpose of the education system? it is in the
answering of this
question
that the answer to the problem of Ritalin exists.
Clarifying the function of the education system in
terms of the society
in
general will cause unrest in the taxpaying, voting
public. this is
something no
elected official wants under any circumstance.
there are 3 or 4 major functions in society which the
school system is
directly
responsible for. the most obvious is the knowledge
which is imparted,
however
imperfectly. the second is the knowledge of
manipulating knowledge, or
wisdom,
if you like.
the largest area of the education system is the
imparting of social
values to
the new generations of participants. it is here that
we see the use of
Ritalin,
unchecked, will effectively eliminate any desire in
the voting public
to
question any person of authority or responsibility.
any person who is
judged to
be a threat will, and are, forced to take drugs to
effectively remove
them from
participation in the society as a functioning member
of that society.
this works in many ways: by virtue of the drug itself
the mental
abilities of
the person will be reduced. the existence of the drug
will then cause
the loss
of social privileges, and the forced paternalism
toward the takers of
the drug
by the well-meaning and others with less generous
intentions.
a more insidious problem is also becoming evident:
social ostracisation
of the
takers of the drug. even thought the drug is medically
prescribed, the
taker is
labeled as "defective", so any opinion or decision or
political
statement is
discounted because the person is a taker of "that
drug". no group will
want
those with that prescription to be a part of their
group on the grounds
that
participation will reflect badly or negatively on the
group and its
objectives.
this circumstance is already being related as
happening to many
students
everywhere where the drug is used in the school
system.
as you can see from the foregoing, answering the
question "why avoid
the study
of Ritalin" is a lot easier to answer.
the issue of Ritalin joins other issues which the
government does want
in the
public eye: why can little johnny not read? where is
the oversight on
the power
commission? why are the civil service positions
expanding faster than
the rise
in population? where are the graduates of the high
schools living now,
and why
is there no opportunity for them in New Brunswick? why
have all the
government
job creation agencies failed?
I am sure that there are other questions which have
the same
characteristics as
the Ritalin issue. health care is supposedly a
priority for every
elected
party, yet the number of hospital beds and nursing
staff, etc is
decreasing.
welfare is designed to maintain the recipients in the
system and
punishes those
who try to get an education to better themselves.
and a related question about social responsibility:
when was the last
time a
civil servant was convicted of receiving bribes and
sent to jail? when
was the
last time a scandal erupted over inappropriate
exercise of authority by
a civil
servant? is New Brunswick so perfect that these things
do not happen
here?

i hope that this will answer your question and
possibly provide you
with some
perspective about the problem. never mind that the
issue needs to be
studied
for the future well-being of the citizens of new
brunswick, or that the
social
structure is being undermined, or that a large number
of voters are
unhappy and
need to be paid attention to, or that the response of
the civil service
is out
of proportion to the question, or that the
condescending attitude of
the
elected members is nauseating to the general public
who read and think,
or that
taxpayer money is being spent on items which the
taxpayers deem to be
incorrect, ..........
have a happy new year, and keep up the good work!!!!

==========================================================================

25-
The government should not do a study on Ritalin.
First, the kind of
formal
studies you're asking for cost a fortune and nothing
ever comes of
them.
More importantly, though, Ritalin is not the scourge
you say it is. It
may
be that it is being prescribed for some children who
don't need it, but
it
is an absolute godsend for many. A child I know was
had her life
totally
changed for the better by her diagnosis of ADHD and
the prescription of
Ritalin. She was unable to concentrate all through
elementary school,
which
meant she did terrible in school. This made her feel
stupid, and it
caused
other kids to make fun of her and call her names. One
year after her
prescription, she's getting As and had lots of
friends, and is sooo
relieved
to learn she's not stupid aftert all, but has a
treatable condition.

My own son has an ADHD child in his grade two class,
and the mother
won't
agree to Ritalin. This child is constantly disruptive
in class. He's
learning nothing, and the other kids aren't learning
much either,
because
the teacher has to spend most of her time trying to
control the poor
child.
This child is unable to focus or sit still, and
medication will help
him get
an education, and help the other 21 kids in his class
get the education
they
deserve.

My point: maybe it's true that some kids are being
medicated who don't
need
it, but some children DO need it! You're not doing
them any favours by
saying bad things about the medicine they need!


==========================================================================

26-

The question is not why a study should be done, but
whether a study is
necessary! The Government and medical agencies are
well aware of the
numbers. For more than a few years experts and
articles have stated
that
medication is being used on many children when it
really isn't needed.
Information is what is needed - what kind of behaviour
is sufficient to
warrant Ritalin or other calming medications and what
kind of behaviour
can
be changed by other measures. Unfortunately in this
world where both
parents
must work (in many cases) it seems impossible that
behaviour
modification
methods could be used satisfactorily and when needed
so we come down to
the
use of mind altering medications.
I believe that doctors must be the first to
understand the problem,
if
there is a problem, and they must be the ones to start
the ball rolling
with
more and better information getting to the parents and
teachers who
must
contend with disruptive behaviour at home and in the
classroom.
So...is a study really necessary or should the
'powers that be'
just get
off their duffs and do the right thing!

=====================================================================

27-
I am not sure if it should be "government" - after all
it is us who
always
pays to have the "government" in EVERY aspect of our
lives- but any
impartial body would be good---after all the companies
can't do it
honestly
and many doctors won't give up the bonus'----we do
need a 3rd party to
study Ritalin because it is a DRUG that we are not
completely sure of,
and
parents are at the wits end for help-
--so it is Ritalin we need to study or put time and
our money into
studying
other therapies for these families---I say scr*w
Ritalin and let's
study the
possible benefits of other therapies and causes and
maybe other
drugs(MAYBE
something natural)...

=====================================================================

28- I taught that I would add this little comment--<
Charles >
Hi Charlie...Happy New Year............There is one
thing I would like
to
know.............who diagnosed you as
ADHD.............and at what age.


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29-
Happy New Year Charles,

Personally, I think there should be a study done
within the province on
ALL prescription drugs. Ritalin is one that needs to
checked into, but
there are several others that seem to be over
prescribed as well.
< POLITICIAN >

=======================================================================

30-I hear you loud and clear Charles
I agree with you.
See ya!


=========================================================================

31-Charlie,j'aimerai en discuter davantage avec notre
critique qui est
Roly McIntyre. Ma position personnel a toujours ete
que ta requete
devrait etre adresse pour finalement avoir l'heure
juste sur toute la grande
question du ritalin.
Salut bien,

< POLITICIEN >

==========================================================================

32-

If something is not done these children, who are
prescribed Ritalin indiscriminately, will grow up to
be drug addicts. Some may commit crimes to support
their addiction and others may be suicidal. Many of
these children who can become productive and
contributing members of society will simply end up
being burden on society. A great human cost, tragedy
and cost to society. That is why there is an urgent
need to study the issue of Ritalin.

=============================================================

33-The government should study Ritalin to make sure
that they are not over
prescribing this drug in order to maintain control
over kids. Alsot to
establish probable facts explaining why this drug is
the best solution
in order to assure the public. We need to make sure
it is not an easy,
simple way out in dealing with "hyper" children. We
need to make sure
that they are following procedures to determine if it
is indeed the
best
medication. Also, we could develop other solutions to
deal with this
issue such as spending more time with our children at
the parc instead
of in front of a television. Many people say that
Ritalin has helped
their children dramatically and they couldn't do
without Ritalin and
others are completely opposed to it so it's a very
sensitive subject.
I
think we have just become too busy as a society that
we have lost focus
on the important things such as spending more time
building a
relationship with our children and parenting them. It
seems that it
has
become a bigger problem in our generations as opposed
to our
grandparents. How were they dealing with ADHD? If
ADHD was not a big
problem as it is now, maybe we should ask ourselves,
is it the way we
live our lives? Is it a question of lacking attention
from busy
families, neglecting families, I dunno. I am not the
person to judge
because I have not done any research on this subject
nor have I been
around children who have ADHD but I hope that this
issue can be looked
at, studied and resolved once and for all.

=====================================================================

34-
Charles-
10,000 signatures on your petition should mean 10,000
reasons to start
with!

========================================================================

35-
Non-Stimulant medication called Strattera should be
considered for all
children and adults with ADD/ADHD and the elimination
of ritalin should
be
strongly considered with this new drug

Family support/counselling/education should be
available to families
going
through hard times with children with ADD/ADHD to try
and avoid
bitterness
in later years developed by living with a child with
add/adhd. This
would
help many families.

========================================================================

36-

Why study Ritalin use in NB?
1. How many kids are on Ritalin purely on the say so
of their teacher?
2. How many kids are on Ritalin that don't need to
be?
3. How many Ritalin kids are just behaviour problems
that the system
doesn't have the resources to help appropriately?
4. How many Ritalin kids are missing out on the
positives of ADHD?
5. How many non-ADHD kids are being denied progress
because they are
unlucky enough to be in a class with some "integrated"
ADHD kids?
6. Double blind studies are a must to get a proper
diagnosis of ADHD.
This program exists in Nova Scotia, why not here?


I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't bring
them to the
surface
right now. I am a pharmacist, so I see both sides of
the coin. I see
kids
and adults who have no business being on Ritalin, but
I also see people
Who
should be seeking treatment but who are afraid of
being labeled. It's
shameful to see but true.

Good Luck Charlie,

< THIS IS FROM A PHARMACIST!!! >

==========================================================================

37-

Our kids, our future, Ritalin is not the answer

Not everyone who is given Ritalin has add/adhd
disorder

More education needed by all parties concerned

Too much time goes by with nothing done and its better
late then never

Our Children are more important then the dogs,
insurance, etc that get
studied

Children who take Ritalin lose their appetite, some
are malnutrition
and
they do not even know it. They can skip meals and
they do not even
feel
hungry.

I think that they need to find another way to teach
children with
add/adhd
because they are at the last resort and this does not
have to be.


=====================================================================

38-
Charles…
1. Side effects such as an enlarged heart......some
deaths......
2. Zombie like personalities..
3. Excess drug use when they reach their teens...and
into adulthood....
4. Lazy Teachers and parents should be studied for
taking the easy way out....

and Charles you ought to write a documentary book on
it

=============================================================

39-CHARLES, Happy New Year to you and all your readers
Regards
< POLITICIAN > I decided to add another one…..

============================================================

40-Although I
feel for kids with sore stomachs, unfortunately many
drugs have
unpleasant
side-effects.

However, MANY drugs are far too easily prescribed.
Maybe the study
should
be on the reasons that medical practitioners are so
quick to prescribe
stuff. Is it because they have too many patients and
can't take the
time to
carefully diagnose? Is it because the doctors know
most people have
some
kind of medical plan so that the cost to the patient
is minimal? Is it
because there's some kind of kickback with the
pharmaceutical companies
-
who rake in kazillions in selling drugs? Or is it
because they just
don't
know what else to do?

Mind you I'm not implying that any of the reasons
suggested are true.
I'm
just saying that the possibility exists. I just read
"The Right
Fight", the
new book on Bernie Lord & the NB PC's by Yves Poitras.
A wonderful
read -
sympathetic to both sides of the NB linguistic and
political coin - but
not

===============================================================

41-
Charlie,
I believe kids on Ritalin are not who they are, or
what they could be,
because they are drugged and not using their minds.
What did it do to
you?
And, did it do anything for you? When did you go on it
and why????
Happy New
Year from Doug and I! Regards

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

42-
Dear Charles LeBlanc,

Here is something that I found on the Oprah site. I
typed in Ophra
Winfrey Show and I was able to find these things in
the archives...good
luck

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cecile Delaney thought you might enjoy this page at
Oprah.com:
http://www.oprah.com/health/coping/disorder/health_copedis_explode1.jhtml

================================================================

43-
1) Makes happy active kids-to Zombies

2) Kiddy Cocaine

3) Can become a real problem if snorted or mixed with
another drug

4) Labelling of these poor kids

5) Teachers will not have active students in their
class if not on
ritalin-catch 22

6) They will be classified as Limited by employers
and the Human
Rights
will agree with the employer

7) No help available if they become addicted

8) They have not been prescribing them long enough to
know the long
term
effects except we know that cocaine is their chose of
drug when they
get
older. We know that every pill affects something,
what vital organ or
organs is ritalin affecting.

9) Mind altering drug is NO GOOD

10) Nothing being done by our government to address
the issue so you
Charlie must NEVER go away!

11) The Pharmacutical companies are making way too
much money on
prescription drugs and they are running the show with
their highly
addictive pills and society pays big time for the
children and adults
that
they are ruining.

12) Oprah had a show on ADHD last Wed. and everything
that you say
about
it was said on her show. I was told about this last
night. Check out
the
Oprah site and see if you can find out exactly what
was said about
Ritalin.

=============================================================

44-
Charles-

This is in the National Post January 7, 2005

Health Canada approves new ADHD pill with small liver
damage risk
OTTAWA - Health Canada has approved a new drug for
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that U.S.
regulators warned in rare cases may cause severe liver
damage. Strattera is a non-stimulant drug approved for
use in children six and older, as well as adults. The
drug is promoted as a once-a-day pill that can treat
symptoms of ADHD from morning to bedtime, so children
can avoid the "stigma" of taking a midday dose at
school. "I remember a mother who was very angry that a
teacher announced [her son's] name to go and see the
nurse during the noon hour, and all the kids teased
him later, saying, 'What are you on?' " says Dr.
Atilla Turgay, chief of medical staff and director of
the ADHD clinic, training and research institute at
the Scarborough Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Turgay, one
of the principal investigators in Canadian tests of
the drug, said Strattera is safe and effective. Last
month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised
doctors about the drug's potential side effects
following two reported cases of liver damage in a teen
and an adult who had been taking Strattera for several
months. Both recovered. Strattera has been on the U.S.
market since 2002 and has been prescribed to more than
two million patients. According to Eli Lilly Canada
Inc., no evidence of liver injury was detected in
clinical studies involving about 6,000 patients,
including 200 Canadians.

A Photo Album by Charles

Selecting "Read More" or following this link below takes you to a collection of photos assembled by Charles. What doesn't have a comment right now will in the future.

Regards.
WCIE




1.


This is a picture of my dog -Zeus! Zeus died a couple of years ago and I cried and cried. He was my true loyal friend when I was going through a very difficult time. We would always go for walks in the woods! I made a presentation in front of a Standing committee in honor of Zeus! They wanted to eliminate certain breed of dogs. If this stupid law had passed years ago, I would have never met Zeus! He was a wonderful pet and a smart one at that!



2.


Two young teenagers but the danger here is that the protest would be used at a hang out! During my six months protest, I made certain that no one hung around my tent!



3.


Yes Tim Smith is truly the last of the cold protesters! He will be a guest on Melanson Live talk show on March 8th!



4.


As many of you know that I have no respect for Quebeckers! Many people believe an Acadian and a Quebecker has the same Mentality therefore giving us Acadians a bad name! What a picture! The shame of it!!!!!...lol..Not one of my best picture either..



5.


This is the way that the Irvings are handling all the independent newspapers in this Province!



6.


This is the way to treat kids with
ADD-ADHD! Better than Ritalin!!!


7.


Mayor Brad Woodside stepped in and move the protest to the building of the Evil Bureaucrats!



8.



I was bored so therefore I just sat on a bench and watch the protesters explaning to the public their concerns! For once I kept my mouth shut!!!



9.


Yes, it was cold!!! This was a protest for the closing of some hospital!



10.


The blacks and the KKK going at it!!!



11.


I stayed in the tent for 6 months and collected 10,000 signatures asking the Government to do a study on the issue of Ritalin!!!



12.


Charles Sensitive Side



13.


If you do a close up on the newspaper in this picture? It will say- Drug use among our youths is shocking!!! Why??? They're all on Ritalin!!!



14.


Enjoyin a Drink



15.


Protesters moved from officer's Square to the front of the Centennial Building. Charles calls- The Building of the Evil Bureaucrats! Ronda Collins, Bonnie O'dea, Darron Letts and Robert.?????



16.


Charles has fun with his bigot friend- Matthew Glenn. These people always fights with the Acadians population and Charles is proud to be an Acadian! It's like the KKK and the blacks going at it!!!



17.


Picture of one of the spice girls



18.


Charles sits down with the Spice Girls trying to
encourage them and giving them some helpful hints!



19.


These Spice girls were sure better looking than Charles!!!..lol



20.


Charles rode a ten speed bicycle across Canada and the U.S.A. in the 70s. This was the last protest in front of the Legislature. They lasted 2 to 3 weeks! The guys are Robert and Craig



21.


This is a picture of Vaughn Barnett! This guy is sort of like myself. He fights for people's rights in court but he doesn't have proper papers to act like a lawyer! The same would be said about me when I speak about the issue of prescription drug! Many will say- Charles is not a Doctor!



22.


Protest was coming to an end in front of the
Legislature!



23.


Charles can't believe all the media attention! I
sure didn't received anything like this during my six
months protest!!!



24.


The protesters went inside and started to shout!!!
Myself? I didn't agree with this kind of protest. Someone asked me- Hey Charles? Since went have you became an conservative Protester?



25.


These girls were getting tired of their protest. They were discourage because no one from the Government came to meet with them! Hey? I waited six months?



26.


Tents in front the Building of the Evil
Bureaucrats!!!



27.


The white one is my dog and his name is Chico! I noticed that Chico attracts a lot of girls! If I would have had Chico during the protest? I would have collected 10,000 signatures in no time! Just like the Alpine Commercial!..lol



28.


Woof



29.


Did the Lord Government finally realized that Charles is a danger to the Legislature???



30.


This is Chico during the Santa Claus Parade. I gave the Autism people a helping hand with their float!!!



31.


Spice Girls going nuts but the Government still ignored these girls till the end! The protest ended when I was visiting Saint John! I never had the chance to say- Good Bye!



32.


Chico



33.


This is Vennessa and at first the girls were in a fighting mood but after a few days? They soon realizes protesting isn't an easy task!



34.


This is Matthew Glenn from the Anglo society. I always call him a Bigot and I also call myself a Bigot because of my dislike of Quebeckers!!! The people from Quevec gave us Acadian a bad name!



35.



This is a picture of a very confuse Charles in the Legislature? He wonders if the Communists took over the New Brunswick Legislature? Another question would be if a Communist system would be better for the poor people of New Brunswick? Notice my beautiful hair style? ..lol.. Beside Charles is long time Liberal MLA- Eugene McGinley.



36.



Dorothy Dawson and Charles.



37.



This is a picture of myself and Asaf Rashid. He's a very outspoken individual. This guy approached me during my protest for an interview on his radio show at U.N.B.! In my opinion? We need more people like this guy! Sometime he blows her temper too quickly but he's a fighter! I might add that he writes his own column in the Brunswickan < NOT OWN BY THE IRVINGS!!!>Good work Asaf!



38.



This photo was taken in the woods. After the church service, I take a nice short cut through the woods. I bumped into a nice girl from China who was lost. She had a camera and took a picture. Isn’t the internet great! She took the picture and email me the picture 30 minutes later. A person must love the information Highway! This area of the Capital is very peaceful!




ARTHUR IRVING TO CHARLES - THAT THING ISN'T GOING TO BETTER THE AIR IN SAINTJOHN!!!!!

I don’t feel like writing because my uncle Al LeBlanc is being operated on as I write and my prayers are with the guy!
He’s the Father that I never had and I’m a strong believer that everything will turn out ok!
The family is in the hospital in Saint John and I live in Fredericton so there’s not much I can do from here but pray.
As the old saying goes - The press must go on but in this case? It’s the blog that must continue!
Ok..Many of you told me that I should slow down with my updates. I should send them away one a week.
Another reader suggested that I should subscribed readers!
You know? Make money with my updates because they are people out there who will pay for my services especially since I could use the money because I only make $485.00 an month!
Well? I got news for you people!
I will never lower myself to charge people who are interested in my views!
This is a hobby of mine and I enjoy it very much! This is the only part of the day that my ADHD brains < all five of them > isn’t racing all over the place. I’m at ease and I love it!!!
Some people might just delete me without reading my views but I really don’t care!
I’m a strong believer of freedom of speech and freedom of speech it’s going to be till the end of times!
The Telegraph Journal and the Moncton Transcript have followed the orders from J.D. Irving not to print my letters and this is sad for our democracy especially since I got 500 letters printed in the Irving papers during these last 15 years! The suddenly it’s over!!!! Coincidence? You tell me???
While in Saint John during the Christmas Holidays many would asked me - Where’s your letters Charles or Hey? I hear you on the Talk Show every week!
Hey? I’m nobody special, I just write my views and that’s the way it is!
One politician and a reader told me that they enjoy the amount of meals being given to me every day for my update.
They don’t give me the numbers any longer and I don’t know the reason but if you wish to continue having the numbers given to me on a daily basis?
You can send an email to

nbfood@nb.aibn.com

to voice your concern of this issue!


The Mayor of Fredericton cut the computer privilege to Councillor David Kelly yesterday and I find this very interesting!
Poor David is having a difficult time lately! He was caught using a story from a Ontario Paper for his column and now this?
The funny part is that he asked me to remove him off my email list a few months ago but I re-added his name once I found out that he copied the stories from Ontario!
I told him that I have lots of ideas for his column!!!...lol….he can get them from my updates…..
Yes!!! I should have my own column in the Irving Paper but this will never happen because I refuse to dedicate my life and soul to the Irving Empire.
I remember a few years back, Arthur and J.K. Irving told me to go and the Editor office and tell the editor to hire me as a columnist!!!
Being Charles? I did just that!
I forgot the guy name at the Telegraph Journal. After I told the guy that I was sent by the Irvings? He told me to take a seat in the basement with the spiders!...lol..
Speaking of the Irvings?
I remember during the upgrading of the Refinery.
A huge part was dock near the shipyard. I was working for that racist company- Gulf Operators.
During noon time, I decided to investigate the atmosphere.
Once there, all these Irving oil employees were moving like ants! I noticed this high class dude watching the situation with great pride. < He had his chest up real high! >
I wasn’t in a suit and I approached the high class guy by saying - Hello there!
He rose his head and in a snobby way- Said—oh?? Hiii…and ignored me like I wasn’t there.
After a few seconds, I said- Hey? That’s Arthur Irving standing there right?
He quickly replied- Yes! That’s MR.IRVING!!!!
I quickly answered- I’m going to have a chat with that boy and went to meet Mr.Irving!
You should have seen the look on the Manager face!
Once there, I said- Hello Art!!! He said - Hi there Charles!
The people in the surrounding were confused that this Billionaire would chat with a peasant like me!
Anyway, we had a chat and afterwards I stared at this huge piece that was heading for the refinery and said- My God Arthur? What a monster! You mean this piece of machinery is supposed to better the air in Saint John??
He quickly gave me a dirty look and said - Charlie? That piece is not supposed to better the air in Saint John!
IT’S GOING TO DO IT!!!!
My God? Was he ever stern with his words and I know for a fact that Irving Oil is trying their best!
Voice of the Province was on last evening and of course, I was the first caller and I ended up talking about the issue of Ritalin! < AGAIN > …LOL…
You can watch it during the weekend at 3:00pm on Rogers! It’s no big deal but it could be interesting next week because Premier Bernard Lord will be their guest and once again the Premier and myself will debate the issue of prescription drug in this Province!
Still no Methadone Clinic in Saint John??? What’s the problem????
Ok….The issues of Bloggers is really picking steam in the U.S.A!
One Blogger was allowed at the President’s news conference and George Bush was surprised to see the guy fall through the cracks.
He ended up with a media pass and began to asking the President some direct questions?
Now? Why not the same here?
Can a Blogger receive a pass at the Legislature and begin asking questions to the politicians? …lol…
Charles LeBlanc a daily pass and freely asked some hard core questions?
You know what?
The system of how the news is made in this Province is going to change big times during these next few years because there’s no way in the world that Germany’s newspapers..oppsss I mean the Irvings paper are going to let New Brunswickers know the going ons within the Irving Empire and this was proven two Christmas ago once the paper mill in Saint John let out a Blue Hazes during Christmas day! Families were forced to stay in their home!
I wrote a direct letter to the Editor but the publisher Peter Huggart told me that they won’t print critical letters of the Irving Empire!!! Hiiiii Hitler!!!!! Oppssss I mean HIIIIII IRVING!!!! Just like Germany all over again and thank God for the information Highway!
These days. The irvings are training these Irvings employees at saint Thomas and Universite de Moncton so they can be brainwash to the Irving Empire! It’s just isn’t right!
MY GOD??? OVER 1,200 WORDS ALREADY??? Ok..Excuse the grammar and style of this update because I just write the darn thing and send it along on the Information Highway!
Here’s some comments I received during the last 24 hours!

1- Love the new system Charles, MUCH better. I like the 'news updates' idea with the link, much more practical.

Before I begin do you ever watch "The Daily Show"? Last night they had a story on bloggers because the bloggers found out several embarassing things about politicians that the media hadn't bothered with. The general thrust of the story is that bloggers are a danger because they deal in 'facts' and information and aren't properly indoctrinated. It was really funny and reminded me of you.

I enjoy your opinions but it's primarily the information that you pass along that really makes you shine. I hate to say it but any New Brunswicker who only reads New Brunswick papers is pretty much retarded when it comes to current affairs- the Irving papers read more like a small town rag that covers mainly sports and occasional 'hot topics' that have little effect on most peoples lives. You're now a 'must have' for any New Brunswicker who wants to have any idea of what's going on. I think the only bonus of a journalism degree would be the wherewithal to publish a New Brunswick labour paper online -sort of akin to TheDominion.ca If that came out once a month I'd easily subscribe and you could get advertisers. There used to be a good one in the seventies, I can't remember it's name but it didn't last very long.

I really think it is important to fight for the list of meals served at the soup kitchen-I'm almost tempted to say that that's the main reason I wanted your updates, but not true. While the 'powers that be' won't want that information known that is precisely the kind of information that is needed and that is necessary for history. On a personal note it is the one thing that guarantees your immortality in the annals of historians. Whatever it takes, Charles, if you have to ask the volunteers there to each count how many they've served, even if it's not exact-in fact I would recommend slightly exageratting the numbers because that's a sure way that those in charge will say "it's better if we give him the real numbers". I can't stress how important this is Charles, as somebody who does a lot of New Brunswick history this is the kind of stuff that people NEED TO KNOW! Ask the customers to put a check on a piece of paper outside the door if necessary! When homelessness and poverty are invisible people won't do anything about them. In fact you could have a section of your website that is a chart or table showing the numbers, I'd help with that!
It's ironic that we spent a week in Dublin, with a population of millions and although we spent the entire time right downtown we only came across three people who asked for a handout. Looks like those immigrants made a big mistake when they left during the potato famine! If you need some help with the fight to get those meals then let your 'viewers' know who to call and complain to. You should be stressing this as much as the ADHD stuff, information is power. Let us know who runs the kitchen and we'll find out who's responsible for not giving out the numbers. I know how it works, the activists get money from government and government doesn't mind throwing a few bucks at the poverty situation but if they get out of hand then the threat of cut offs comes down. They did that during the 93 referendum as well.

This is especially important now that New Brunswick seems to be sinking to near third world status. A standard of living study placed NB 58th out of 60 of the provinces and states in North America. New Brunswick is a worse place to live than Alabama! The average family income in NB is HALF what it is in Ontario, and Ontarians dare gripe about provinces wanting a new equalization deal! New Brunswickers are really going to have to wake up and realize their governments aren't doing them any favours. I laughed when I saw the Minister of Transportation taking somebody to task for daring criticize the government's handling of the TCH! Funny how BEFORE work is done governments are all keen and eager to brag about how efficient they've been, it's only when the price tag is in and the work is finally over that they're already earning their stipends as directors of thinktanks in giant corporations. The environmental and engineering studies for twinning that part of the highway was done thirty years ago when the government first started begging at the fed's door. Ironic how NB politicians in the eighties traded their lobby of the loss of rail transit for increased highway funds, and here we are fifteen years later with not even a main artery complete for tourists and transports to get the hell out of the province as quick as possible! No trains and lousy highways, what a tourist attraction!


2- Woke up this morning with a question. Here in the United States in take 12 years to teach a child to learn to read, write, spell, and to math. 12 years? Maybe that's why we have fallen in our education. 12 years to learn. I think it could be done in four years. The rest of the years could be for teaching a trade. College could be saved for a degree. If the kids would have a trade maybe they could go to work and not so much sit around at home and watch TV. Maybe if the kids would get the educational basics out of the way they would be better students. Maybe if we would have better students we would have less problems to deal with here in American. Giving more money to the "sad teachers" will not do anything for the students. We need better ways to teach the students and prepare them for the real world. I feel we are hanging on the old ways. A new is here today. I wish the school would have teached me the basics at first, maybe I would have wrote a better letter to you explaining it the right way in what if feel about education.



3-
Good morning Charles:
I just got done printing off a couple of copies of your
write up and will put one away for your spring time visit
as I said last evening that sunday will be one month since
my meeting with the ministers.
And unbelievably I was out this morning for a coffee
on the boardwalk and a reporter wants to do an update on
the addiction centre and recovery process ie: how exessable
is it to get there and is what their doing for me (FOR ALL) or
am I recieving special treatment and so on.
He says there,s rumours being told that people are wandering
if their just trying to keep me busy.
O.K. I,ve got to go for know my boss needs my help and
is standing over my sholder and putting the rush on me.


4- never been better! Thanx. See you're still hard at work

5- i like the new system better. i don't check my email often and with the new system i can just bookmark your site.
Thanx a lot Charles!!


6- Getting your updates is better through email !!


7- Politicians who have no sense of humour do not last long in the
business.
Bernard is generally going downhill, but he can keep going that way as
long as
there is no credible opposition. the other parties have to start
proposing
ideas and solutions in red to be credible to the general voter. so
far, there
is no alternative to Bernard. fix that!!!!
the weather here is nice, the sand is warm and comfortable, the cost of
beer
here is 1.50 cdn at the restaurants and the sun is warm. business is
good, life
is fine.
when are you coming to visit? perhaps if you told the bureaucrats and
detractors of yours that you would be quiet for a month they would pay
for a
flight, just to get you out of town for a while!! maybe worth a try.
have fun


8- I am sorry......... I thought this was more of a support group and
someplace to be able to talk about what we go thru on a daily
basis....... not a government bitch out board......... there are too
many of those alread!!!

I will just make myself at home back on my page........

9- Daily Gleaner
As published on page A6 on August 7, 2002

Uncomfortable with talk of young tanker

Dear Editor: On a Monday morning, Aug. 5, I was walking along the St. John River. As I crossed under the Westmorland Street Bridge and headed towards railway footbridge I saw a lot of military personnel, tanks and other military items.

I wondered why they have landed on the beaches of the St. John River. Then I realized it was just some kind of military exhibition. As I weaved through tanks and other vehicles, I saw a group of three or four people listening to this young military gentleman.

First, to look at this gentleman one would think that he couldn't hurt a fly.

But here he was elatedly explaining the capability of a tank, which I assumed he operated.

He was saying how the tank could kill people by the dozens if he was protecting the Sheraton, for example.

He was talking about killing people as if he was in a bowling alley and knocking down bowling pins. Yes, I have respect for the military. These young men and women sacrifice their lives so that others can be safe.

Yet I wish that there was a way that these sacrifices can be avoided altogether through peace. I know it is not easy. I also wish that I would win $1 million in the lottery some day. However, for the lottery one can only wish, but for peace one can work towards it and reduce the chances of conflicts.

I should not be misunderstood. I am not a total peacenik. I used to get into brawls all the time when I was growing up. I provoked quite a few of them myself.

I got mostly beaten up and other times I barely escaped. I learned my lesson the hard way. I also believe that one must fight injustice until one can overcome it no matter how big the hurdles are.

However, I do not believe fighting with weapons, but using other means, including raising awareness about the injustice, exposing the perpetrator, arranging and participating in peaceful demonstrations and writing letters to the editor.

Back to the military exhibition, as I moved further away from it I saw these posters "Tank you, but no tank you."

I said to myself: "Thank you whoever you are who put these posters up."

No, I did not get a chance to join the actual peace demonstration but I am glad someone was arranging it.

??????????????
Fredericton


10- Time again for comments from your favourite reader. :)

1. Why do you make a big deal over what people say on phone-in shows?
Most
(not all) callers are more ignorant and way more angry than regular
people.
They don't represent the real 'voice of the people'. So, just because
the
callers on a phone-in show are anti-Irving, doesn't mean Saint Johnners
are.
Some are, some are not.

2. Cameras in the classroom would be a huge invasion of the privacy of
everyone in the room, it's a horrible idea! Not to mention the danger
if
stalkers or pedophiles ever found a way to tap into those cameras!