I recently heard a radio interview with Joseph Califano, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Jimmy Carter. During his service to the White House, Califano began the battle against the tabacco industry. “Public Enemy Number One,” he railed.

The segment of the interview I heard with Califano dealt with students on medications.  A pharmacist joined the discussion and gave a grim description of the drugs he prescribes to teenagers.  The most compelling argument I heard during the discussion which ensued was that in the place of discipline, we dole out medication.

A good friend of mine is in pharmacy school.  As a regular practice they have to learn the compositions and side effects of commonly prescribed drugs.  I remember the day, when in dismay, she shared with me the effects of the most common attention deficit disorder drugs children take.  The scariest part, she sighed, is that we don’t really know the long term effects of these drugs.

Are we relying on drugs to take the place of good parenting, thourough teaching, tough discipline, and caring support?  I have seen several students go through the process of being recommended for medication, beginning to take medication, and quickly changing their attitudes and efforts because of it.  Some students seem to do much better with these common attention deficit and depression medications.  For most, however, prescribed drugs do not seem to be the answer.

It comes back to the question of if we are using drugs in place of a better alternative…