No Suicide Epidemic Exists - Tampa Tribune

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No Suicide Epidemic Exists

Tampa Tribune

By Ken Kramer

Dec 31, 2005

Certainly any parent suffers a heavy burden of grief over the loss of a child,

and our hearts go out to any family that suffers such a tragedy, including the

Dungy family.

However, your brief editorial ( " The Shared Tragedy Of Teen Suicide, " Dec. 23)

contained false and misleading statements such as " No family is immune from this

epidemic. " In fact, the recent suicide hysteria is only the marketing strategy

of the " suicide prevention " industry.

It is rare that a child commits suicide. In Florida over the last five years,

the number has been approximately 50 per year out of millions of youngsters 18

and under, according to reports obtained from Florida medical examiners.

Suicides generally have been on the decline since 1987.

The rate of suicide for 19 years of age and younger, which peaked in 1988, is

less now than in 1981.

Your editorial characterizing teen suicide as a " growing epidemic " is flat

wrong, alarmist and, frankly, concerning. You are acting as a mouthpiece for the

psycho-pharmaceutical complex that wants to see as many children consuming its

drugs as possible.

Your editorial states, " TeenScreen reports that in nearly two-thirds of

suicides, the victims exhibited symptoms of depression for more than a year

before their deaths. " The fact is that in Florida, the majority had already been

" treated. "

I am familiar with this subject, as I have obtained, perused and analyzed every

autopsy, toxicology and law enforcement report on every single suicide 18 and

under in the state of Florida for the last five years.

The true story is that the majority had been on psychotropic drugs or had

already received psychiatric treatment, which is completely consistent with the

flood of FDA and international warnings that these drugs can create suicidal

ideation.

TeenScreen admits that a percentage of the kids it screens will wind up on these

same psychotropic drugs. In fact, a survey of recently trained child

psychiatrists found that treatment for nine out of 10 children consisted of

drugging.

TeenScreen was wisely denied entry into the Pinellas and Hillsborough County

school districts.

There is no epidemic of suicide in young people. But your promoting that such

exists in itself causes hysteria in society.

Please, have some respect for those who are grieving by offering thoughtful

solutions rather than a pat editorial not based on facts.

Ken Kramer is a researcher for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights of

Florida, an organization founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology, which

opposes psychiatric treatment and psychotropic medications.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Tribune published a statement Wednesday correcting the

editorial's use of the term " growing epidemic " of teen suicides.

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