http://www.giulemanidaibambini.org/consensus/consensus_en.ht ml

“Giù le mani dai bambini" ® is the most visible campaign for the defence of children's right to health ever organised in Italy, and at present is the most rapidly growing campaign compared to similar initiatives in Europe. The aim of the campaign is to ensure complete and correct public awareness (teachers, parents, adolescents themselves, etc.) on the subject of abuses in the administration of psychopharmaceutical drugs to children and teenagers. With over 11 million children chronically dependent on amphetamines in the United States alone, this situation has now become a genuine medical emergency that is also affecting Italy (for more information consult our website www.giulemanidaibambini.or g ).

This initiative, promoted by the network of hospital volunteers that has formed a Committee of Associations and Bodies representing over 6 million Italian citizens, is organised with the patronage of RAI – Radio Televisione Italiana. Celebrities from the world of entertainment and science, ranging from Ray Charles (who died recently) to Beppe Grillo and many others, have added their support to the campaign, as can be seen from the Testimonial section on the website. The Campaign has set up a highly qualified Scientific Committee and has launched a complex series of interventions all over the country. The initiative is a non-profit enterprise, as well as being apolitical and non-confessional. The information portal on Internet, which is managed by our volunteers, is currently the most well informed and complex on this subject in Italy. “Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD) syndrome has been the subject of an impressive number of trials and scientific studies. At present the elective solution used to treat this disorder is the pharmacological one (stimulants based on amphetamines and other drugs), and to a far lesser extent a clinical pedagogical approach, psychotherapy and autonomous social interventions..."

I don't know where they get their figures from (I can't understand the other pages on the site - I don't speak Italian) but it seems very possible.

I did a quick check and found a couple of sites that suggest its very probable - for instance, the following Science Daily site has a book published in 2000 which says (nearly half way down) that there more than 6,000 USA children on stimulants.  Given the rate of prescription increase then its very likely pretty accurate at 11,000 5 years on I'd think?   Shocking amount isn't it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/cgi-bin/apf4/amazon_products_fee d.cgi?Operation=ItemLookup&ItemId=0761527699

I haven't forgotten the other stuff Brooklea - its just that it needs collating etc, and so I need time to get the articles together without interruption.  At the moment I'm still doing things and popping back inbetween. 

Editing - I must be tired.  I mean 6 million and 11 million (not 6,000 and 11,000) DUH.

    At this current time... there are actually 12.6 million American children on ADHD drugs.

   The average cost in the USA of a month's prescription of ADHD drugs is $102.

    At this current time... there are actually 12.6 million American children on ADHD drugs.

   [/QUOTE]

Hi.  12.6 million is a lot.  So going on say strattera's "low" incidents of suicidal thinking of say 0.04 % - whats the risk on 12.6 million children on these drugs?  I know it wouldn't be all the children risked who would complete suicide, as often it's caught in time and lives are saved,  but whats the RISK of suicides (as in 0.4% having suicidal thoughts)  on 12.6 mill?

Too tired to calculate. 

Might be wrong, but I think 0.4% of 12.6 million is 50,600.

50,600 children at risk of drug induced suicidality?

With over 11 million children chronically dependent on amphetamines in the United States alone, this situation has now become a genuine medical emergency that is also affecting Italy

[/QUOTE]

I find it hard to believe that 11 million children are CHRONICALLY dependent on amphetamines.  "Chronically" to me has always meant that a person is going to have a disease for the rest of their lives.  Chronic asthma is one example - a person who has asthma will not necessarily die from it, but it will be with them for the rest of his or her life. 

Medication for ADHD is taken and it is helpful, although not always wanted, but it is not a chronic condition.  They don't have to take medication for the rest of their lives. They take vacations from them, they do off them altogether.  It isn't a chronic condition to be taking medication.  it is a choice that can change.

I have taken medication which has helped me greatly.  I didn't like the side effects and so I am trying something else.  But if it helps others, I think that they should have that choice.

I think the wording here is very misleading.  Taking medication for ADHD does not create a chronic condition.

In 2000, 10.6 out of every 100,000 persons died by suicide [.01 percent].

For children age 10 to 14, the rate was 1.5 per 100,000 [.0015 percent]

For children 15 to 19, the rate was 8.2 deaths per 100,000 [.0082 percent]

For young adults age 20 to 24 years of age, the suicide rate was 12.8 per 100,000 [.0128 percent].

Two percent of those treated for depression in an outpatient setting will die by suicide.

Four percent of those treated for depression in an inpatient hospital setting will commit suicide.

Six percent of those treated for depression as inpatients following a suicide attempt or “suicide ideation” will die by suicide.