October 28, 2004

Press Release 

Patricia Weathers, President, 845-677-8115

Sheila Matthews, National Vice President 203-966-8419

Children Suicide “Cluster” in Pennsylvania

Is Antidepressant Use to Blame?

 As Pocono Mountain East High School reels from its third unexplained child suicide that has occurred within the past six weeks, the mental health industry scrambles to explain away what so many people in this country, and in the U.K., have slowly but clearly begun to understand.  Three child suicides all involving children who attended the same school inside of six weeks would appear alarming to the average person, but not to the American Psychiatric Association, which issued this statement concerning the matter.  “Reports of suicide “clusters”, in which one suicide appears to trigger several others within a group such as a school or community, have increased.”   

To say that suicide clusters have increased without addressing a possible antidepressant link is a “smoke screen” attempt to take our attention away from the stark reality, the shock, and horror that the average person would have to know that 3 children all attending the same school killed themselves all inside a 6 week period.  One would think right away, what are the odds?   

Psychologist Sara Camaerei, who practices with Family Treatment Associates of Stroudsburg, PA had this to say regarding the recent cluster of child suicides.  “Suicide is a taboo in our society.  No one likes to talk about it.  When one individual commits suicide, it removes the taboo and others could think that maybe it’s an alternative.”

A taboo, simply put, is anything prohibited or forbidden by society, tradition or convention. To blame suicide on the fact that it is a taboo within society and that children are more likely to kill themselves because society as a whole does not like to talk about suicide is a far-reaching theory. To reach further and state that one child suicide would encourage other children to follow suit, simply killing themselves because this “taboo” has been removed, is another questionable theory that offers very little answers and does not get to the crux of the situation.      

The reality is that both statements produce a tremendous amount of much needed “smoke and mirrors” on the mental health industries part in their futile attempt to divert our focus away from more logical explanations.  The reality is that both statements and point of view do not address the current antidepressant crisis happening in this country and the very real plausible explanation into why children are killing themselves at such a rapid rate.

The facts should speak for themselves and override any meager attempts by a profit driven industry to explain away child suicides. The facts should not be covered up or go unheard when children continue to die.  They are: 

• Last years ban of antidepressants for children in the U.K. due to their link to suicide ideations.

• This years FDA investigation into the antidepressant link to suicide and violence.

• This years Congressional Investigations into the FDA’s failure to act in the best interest of public safety by attempting to withhold crucial drug research and studies from the public. 

• The drug companies ability to withhold clinical data from the FDA and the public that clearly linked antidepressant use with suicide.

• The recent issuance of “Black Box Warnings” by the FDA on all antidepressants clearly spelling out their link to suicide.

• Over 850 parents have come forward on a national level to report being pressured and coerced by nation schools to place their children on behavioral drugs and antidepressants http://www.ablechild.org/data/thelist.asp.

• Parents and advocates taking action within states across the nation to enact state laws outlawing the prevalent practice of coercion by schools which led to the Federal government proposing “The Child Medication Safety Act,” which would safeguard both parental and children’s rights http://ablechild.org/flegislation.htm.

• Lack of a tracking system in place for each State and for the Nation overall, that would comprise useful data regarding the number of children dying as a result of psychiatric drugs.

These facts cannot be discounted.  The question remains: Is the American public going to continue to buy into the mental health industries “smokes and mirror” attempts to dispel, distort and overshadow children dying, and the reason why they are dying? 

Is this incident at Pocono Mountain East High School in Pennsylvania so easily swept under the rug by the industry promoting unapproved drugs to children? Will the American public allow this to happen? 

The American public needs to demand accountability. Three child “cluster” deaths in Pennsylvania should be enough to prompt a full Federal investigation into the matter.  The public needs to have access into the number of children dying as a result of psychiatric drugs.  No accountability and No oversight is just plain Unacceptable.   

For more information on children’s mental health issues, Federal and State laws involving a child’s right to grow up drug free, and education please visit www.ablechild.org.

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