It started at the beginning of the week, after months – perhaps years – of wondering about the State of Texas and a law suite against the manufacturers of an antipsychotic – risperidone. Primary issue is the question of whether the company had been promoting the medication for children – off label- against the FDA guide lines. For the State of Texas, were millions of dollars paid for this medication, utilizing a now questionable tool – termed TMAP. What makes this court hearing so unique to me is the primary fact that a blogger I greatly respect traveled down to the Courthouse in Austin, Texas – reporting via his blog www.1boringoldman.com daily posts of the entire process with his gifts of incredible analysis and descriptions. Also making it so unique, follow bloggers whom I so greatly value and respect followed along online as well. It was if we were all right there in the Court Gallery viewing the proceedings. Independent of the outcome of the trial, the support and online comments and input seemed to me to be unlike any of many Court Cases I have witnessed or testified in my Professional Career. Unlike my prior forensic work, it was not a commitment hearing, not a competency hearing….but addressing the huge questions of ethics, fraud, and -most of all- risk to the far too many children that were being medicated excessively and probably for the wrong reasons (behavioral control-rather than psychosis) On YouTube, I will place a link of an interview with an adolescent girl so you can hear her perspective. Not directly part of the TX case- but a far too familiar theme
A teenager discloses her experience in a Regional Treatment Center !
I could continue with hundreds of videos, blogs, chat discussions, etc – but the issues have been discussed at length by so many well informed adults – but with no apparent public outcry over excessive medicating of Foster Kids. What strikes me on a poignant level is the courage and strength it has taken for professionals (Mr Jones) to be key “whistleblowers” I am by no means an expert in this field, but over a decade ago, I was tracking very closely the FDA and BigTobacco. I had read Dr David Kessler’s book, disclosing his work in investigating the issue of whether nicotine was addicting. I had viewed the special on 60″ – later made into a movie “The Insider” tracking the painful saga of Dr Jeffrey Wigand’s testimony to the Senate – at great risk to his life and his family. At the University of Minnesota, in the early 1970s, I was deeply committed to the field of physiologic psychology – working with my mentors at the U of MN, implanting electrodes into lab rat brains-and locating so called “Pleasure Centers” deep within the brain. Then testing different families of medications with the lab rats to see if there were different responses….(Thorazine was in the only family that “turned off the pleasure center”} While working with Dr Walter Mink PhD (nearby Macalester College) and Dr Warren Roberts, a new researcher arrived from the East Coast with the technology to work with nicotine addicted mice and later primates) It was both frightening and exciting to think of major break thrus in the field of addiction. But Phillip Morris recruited Victor, under the ruse of needing his expertise to develop a safer cigarette. He was given an incredible lab and numerous incentives, only to later learn Phillip Morris was only interested in maintaining the necessary addictive properties to keep sales moving forward (see here-I think it is worth it) If the youtube date is correct, the special begins tomorrow.
By the Way – helpful to learn how “natural” Cigarettes are to manufacture (view here –
If any doubt about the safety of cigarettes, simply view this “scientific” study More Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette ! lol
Why post about Big Tobacco and Whistleblowers?
I see not difference between BigTobacco and BigPharma in the techniques and fraudulent behaviors .. Both are in the business of attempting to deliver dangerous chemicals to humans, motivated souley by greed and profits. The Marketing of Tobacco may no longer be on TV, but the Magazines and other media still target our children… www.TobaccoFreeKids.org
Smoking really is still glamorous - yes?
