Press Release:
July 16, 2003
Contact Information
Patricia Weathers 845-677-8115
President
Sheila Matthews
National Vice President 203-966-8419
ABLECHILD Wins Request to BAN the use of Paxil on Children in the Department of Family Services System in the State of Connecticut.
After
our repeated calls to Governor Rowland’s Office regarding the recent findings
that Paxil causes suicidal ideation and behavior tendencies in children, The
Department of Family & Children Services of Connecticut Advisory Committee
has removed Paxil from use in children in DCF care for a six month period
pending further review.
We
are thrilled that the Department of Family Services has taken our
organization’s request and the FDA’s warnings seriously and has removed
Paxil for use in children in state custody.
Even though we are encouraged with this recent victory, we strongly feel
that the lack of informed consent and the right to refuse “drug” treatment
for these children is at a crisis level.
The
lack of accountability of the number of children in state care diagnosed with
subjective mental illnesses is an alarming problem, not only in the State of
Connecticut, but also throughout the Country.
We look at this recent BAN on Paxil as a stepping-stone to protect all
children and reform the broken system.