THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 4, 1996 TAG: 9611040042
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 73 lines
Jerry and Debra Mundy's adorable blond 3-year-old daughter doesn't have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
And, unlike an estimated 5 percent of the nation's children, she is not taking the drug Ritalin.
So why have the Mundys started a local chapter of the 1-year-old nonprofit national organization, Parents Against Ritalin?
Because:
They've heard the stories of kids lining up in school nurse offices for midday doses of Ritalin.
They're appalled at the prevalence of the drug among the country's children.
They think that while Ritalin is the answer for some kids, it is not the panacea it's made out to be. And they think parents need a place to find information about alternative treatments.
So tonight, the Mundys are hosting their organization's national founder, motivational speaker and author Debra Jones, in a free seminar, ``Natural Alternatives to Ritalin,'' at the Founders Inn.
``PAR is not about judgment,'' said Debra Mundy. ``We are not there to tell a mother she's wrong to have her child on Ritalin. If it's right for them, if they feel it's right in their heart, then it's the right thing to do.''
The Mundys, who sell a line of herbal remedies themselves, say they just want to provide information to parents about natural alternatives, like behavioral modification and diet. They hope eventually to compile a list of local medical professionals who will work with parents seeking natural - in other words, nondrug - remedies for ADHD.
And, they say, they do not push, or even name, the products they sell when they talk to other parents.
In fact, Jones specifically forbids any member of the organization from endorsing any particular product, person or method to treat ADHD.
``Contrary to what the name implies, we are not about wiping out Ritalin from the face of the Earth,'' Jones said in a phone interview from her home in Claremore, Okla. ``There are some children for whom Ritalin may be the best option. The concern we have falls into two categories:
``If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, we want parents to know there are options outside of drug therapy that can be used.
``We believe there are many children being medicated unnecessarily because the diagnosis itself is not accurate.''
Her organization, Jones said, serves as a clearinghouse for information, with two newsletters a year, a speaker's bureau, recommended reading list and other resources.
``What families choose to do with that information is up to them.''
She admits, too, that there is little if any clear scientific research proving that alternative therapies, like diet and vitamin therapy, are effective in treating ADHD.
The preferred treatment for attention disorders is daily doses of drug stimulants like Ritalin, coupled with behavior modification, counseling and educational therapy. In the past five years, the production of Ritalin has increased 600 percent, according to the federal government.
In people with attention disorders, stimulants have a calming effect and heighten concentration. They are effective in about 75 percent of cases, according to numerous long-term scientific studies.
But the drugs don't always work. In some children, they cause side effects such as loss of appetite, dizziness, insomnia and growth suppression. Recent reports that Ritalin may cause cancer in laboratory rats have scared some parents.
And some parents don't want their children taking medication they may have to stay on for the rest of their lives.
``The best approach is to take the best the medical community and the natural world can provide and blend the two together,'' Jones said. ILLUSTRATION: TO LEARN MORE
For information about the Virginia Beach chapter of Parents Against
Ritalin, call 557-9697. Debra Jones will speak tonight at 7 p.m. at
the Founders Inn, 5641 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach. by CNB