Times Herald (Vallego-Bencia-American Canyon, Ca)
Thursday, June 22
By Times-Herald readers
'Critical issue' response
Leslie McGuire ("A critical issue," June 9) makes teenage suicide sound like a problem of magnitude by naming some numbers and omitting other numbers. A very, very small percentage of teens take their lives. The third leading cause is so small as to be insignificant as a number. The event is a tragedy and for the most part it can be avoided.
The fact is the majority of teenagers who do take their lives are on psychotropic drugs. The FDA has warned us of these consequences. Additionally, McGuire fails to mention that TeenScreen was developed by a psychiatrist who was paid by pharmaceutical companies. Do you think the pharmaceutical companies are out to prevent suicide? The only recommendation for teens that get screened is to see someone who can prescribe the very pharmaceuticals that cause depression and suicidal behavior.
If these people really wanted to help prevent teenagers from getting killed, why don't they pony up to the No. 1 and No. 2 killers of teens and save more lives?
The answer: There's no money in it.
Garrison Clarke, Altadena, Calif.
By Times-Herald readers
'Critical issue' response
Leslie McGuire ("A critical issue," June 9) makes teenage suicide sound like a problem of magnitude by naming some numbers and omitting other numbers. A very, very small percentage of teens take their lives. The third leading cause is so small as to be insignificant as a number. The event is a tragedy and for the most part it can be avoided.
The fact is the majority of teenagers who do take their lives are on psychotropic drugs. The FDA has warned us of these consequences. Additionally, McGuire fails to mention that TeenScreen was developed by a psychiatrist who was paid by pharmaceutical companies. Do you think the pharmaceutical companies are out to prevent suicide? The only recommendation for teens that get screened is to see someone who can prescribe the very pharmaceuticals that cause depression and suicidal behavior.
If these people really wanted to help prevent teenagers from getting killed, why don't they pony up to the No. 1 and No. 2 killers of teens and save more lives?
The answer: There's no money in it.
Garrison Clarke, Altadena, Calif.
* * * *
Suicide is something everyone would like a solution for. However, it is not an epidemic. In fact, it is very rare. Of all the many other solutions that may be out there, mental health screening is the worst. It usually leads to more people being put on dangerous mind-altering psychiatric drugs. Money should be raised for other more important issues, like illiteracy.
Mental health screening is totally bogus; we will never get anywhere with it. Just research the facts about psychiatric drugs and their relation to mental health screening. And then take a look at their results. No workability. In fact, the usual "solution," psychiatric drugs, have been known to cause suicide in young adults, which was why the FDA issued the black box warning label.
With mental health screening being "the" solution, I'm afraid we would just be digging ourselves deeper into the hole.
Elizabeth Hallquist, Weston, Conn.
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