TeenScreen Keeps its Locations Secret

Some may wonder just why the TeenScreen program keeps its locations a secret from parents. Maybe because they don't want the parents to know when and where their children will be screened. Also, it may be that the directors don't want the public to get hip to their schemes.

According to TeenScreen's director, Leslie McGuire, TeenScreen is fearful there will be an uprising against mental health screening (quite correctly), therefore TeenScreen refuses to divulge their locations. At any rate, see what one of the directors of the TeenScreen program once said:

"We generally don't divulge that information. Some sites want to share where they are and they want to connect people but generally we don't make that list public and that's so that they don't get swamped with lots of questions from people — you know — instead of coming to us where this is our job and we're paid to do that and it's also so they don't get targeted by some of these anti-screening groups."

Listen to her statement here: Leslie McGuire Speaks

Is there really a need for mental health screening?

Some would say that there is a dire need to screen America's teens for mental illness, but when all aspects of the issue are examined, there are more risks than benefits. For the sake of the argument, the TeenScreen program has been widely proclaimed as a breakthrough method of tracking down mental illness before it gets out of hand. But what is it really? As discussed in previous articles on this site, the TeenScreen project is nothing more than a scheme by the pharmaceutical companies to cash in on America's hardworking families.

The tests are given by computers, not humans specializing in mental health, and there is a false positive rate of well over 90%! When a child receives a false positive result, he or she is labeled as "Mentally Ill" and are immediately put onto psychiatric drugs like Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and more. These drugs are known to produce suicidal and homicidal side effects! The program boasts its ability to identify suicidal teens. We would have to agree, if their way of "identifying" suicidal teens is by CREATING suicidal teens. Because that's all they really do.

So, is there a need for mental health screening in schools? Possibly in the RAREST of occasions, but not in any usual school.

TeenScreen: A Menacing Presence

Citizens in the United States need to know that the first target population for this forced massive screening for "mental illness" are America's children and pregnant women. This initiative has already been in operation since July 2003 in 168 of America's schools under the auspice of the "TeenScreen®" program, developed by Columbia University physicians (under leadership of David Shaffer M.D, spokesman of Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals), [the same group that has been designated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to review the studies on SSRI-antidepressants inducing self-harm & suicide in children].

Fifty two million American school children and six million school personnel are ordered to undergo screening tests for hidden mental illnesses (as if mental illness needs to be ferreted out and captured like a rabid animal). This is not science fiction... this is harsh reality and it is happening now!

ACT NOW! Stop TEENSCREEN! Sign the online petitition

Legislation Prohibits Mental Health Screening for Children

NMHA (National Mental Health Association) is very concerned with this type of proposed legislation because of the potential effect on access to preventive care and early intervention for children with mental health needs. Moreover, this type of legislation is often backed by powerful groups that argue that mental illness and mental health diagnoses do not exist and do not require treatment. With statistics showing that mental health problems affect one in every five young people at any given time and that an estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need, the enactment of this type of legislation could have further negative impact on children with mental illness.

George Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health addressed disparities in services in what it called a…”mental health delivery system is fragmented and in disarray” by proposing in its Goal 4 that “In a transformed mental health system, the early detection of mental health problems in children and adults - through routine and comprehensive testing and screening - will be an expected and typical occurrence.” The report added a further recommendation that “Quality screening and early intervention will occur in both readily accessible, low-stigma settings, such as primary health care facilities and schools, and in settings in which a high level of risk exists for mental health problems, such as criminal justice, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems.”

The proposed legislation clearly targets early intervention and fosters stigma around behavioral health disorders in children. NMHA is developing tools such as legislative language and media pieces to assist MHAs in fighting such bills. NMHA is committed to advancing the agenda for promotion of sound public policy for children’s mental health. Below are materials that address the importance of access to comprehensive mental health services for children:

• Investment in Children's Mental Health Services (pdf)
• NMHA’s position statement on The Use of Psychotropic Medication to Treat Children’s Mental Health Needs
• NMHA’s position statement on Access to Health Services.

NMHA is including with this issue alert media talking points, a sample letter to the editor, and a sample press release (MS Word). NMHA recommends that states facing this legislation utilize these materials to do the following:

• Apprise fellow stakeholders and coalition members of this legislation.
• Inform local education agencies and associations that we are tracking this legislation and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Determine which policymakers are chairs of committees that will be addressing this legislation and communicate with them about our concerns using the media talking points, the NMHA position statements, or the NMHA investment in children’s mental health services brochure.
• When appropriate, adapt NMHA media materials to your local situation and to publicize your commitment to children’s mental health issues.

As a parent of a son with attention deficit disorder, Utah’s Governor Huntsman underscored that the recently vetoed HB 42 could "have a chilling effect on communication between parents and teachers."

10 Anti-Depressant Related Killings

Here are the last major school shooters and the link under each name is a reputable news source that connects them all with SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac, Ritalin, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil, and others:

1) May 20 1999: T.J. Solomon, a 15-year-old wounds six at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga.. http://add.about.com/health/add/library/weekly/aa052599.htm CNN Reports That T.J. Solomon was on Ritalin.

2) April 16 1999: Shawn Cooper, a 15-year-old sophomore wounds one at Notus Junior-Senior High School in Notus, Idaho. http://www.boiseweekly.com/archive/v7i42/cope/cope_col.html Reports that Cooper was abused and medicated.

3) April 20 1999: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill thirteen and wound twenty three at Columbine High School. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/april99/antisocial04299.htm Eric Harris, The apparent leader of the attack had been on Luvox.

4) May 21, 1998: Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old kills four and wounds twenty three at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore.. http://www.drugawareness.org/washtimes.html Kinkle Had been taking Prozac.

5) March 24, 1998: Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, opened fire on their classmates and killed five and wounded eleven at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark..

Arkansas Online http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/jonesboro/brygolden24.html Andrew Golden's Medical Records released to Courts but not open to the public!

From Jon Rappaport of the Truthseeker foundation: http://www.nfgcc.org/schoolviolence.htm A Doctor from Georgetown University commented on Network television that one of the boys had previously been treated for violent behavior. (Treated with what?)

AND According to Arianna Huffington the following events are linked to Anti-Depressants as well:

6) Julie Marie Meade from Maryland who was shot to death by the police when they found her waving a gun at them. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

7) Ben Garris, a 16-year-old in Baltimore who stabbed his counselor to death. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

8) Kristina Fetters, a 14-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, who stabbed her favorite great aunt in a rage that landed her a life sentence. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

9) Pfizer, The Manufacturer of Zoloft is being sued by a Kansas family for the Suicide of their 14 year old son on Zoloft. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/061099.html

10) The estate of Brynn Hartman, Wife of the Saturday Night Live Comedian, Phil Hartman, is also suing Pfizer, since Mrs. Hartman had been on Zoloft when she killed her husband and herself! http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/061099.html

Paxil Not Safe for Children & Teens

In 2003, the FDA broadcast a warning about the dangers of teens and children using Paxil, an antidepressant drug. But still the TeenScreen program and its pharmaceutical sponsors force children and teens to take Paxil (among other drugs) under the presumption that they (the teens) are mentally ill. But considering the public warning below posted by the FDA, it leaves you to wonder: Who really IS mentally ill?

FDA Warning of 2003
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PATIENTS TAKING PAXIL (paroxetine hydrochloride) DO NOT SUDDENLY DISCONTINUE USE OF THE DRUG. ANY CHANGES MUST TAKE PLACE UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION. More on the warning here

Notable TeenScreen Quote

"...virtually all of the gun-related massacres that have made headlines over the past decade have had one thing in common: They were perpetrated by people taking Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil or a related antidepressant drug."


If your child has been misdiagnosed by the TeenScreen program, and are on one or more of the drugs listed above, please seek help now! It is not too late!

Deceitful Laurie Flynn: TeenScreen Director

You'll be amazed at how unprofessional TeenScreen directors and key players act while not being watched. Case in point, Ms. Laurie Flynn, TeenScreen Director. An email by Laurie Flynn was obtained and made public. See how Ms. Laurie Flynn feels about the children, and the TeenScreen programs manupulative ways. Flynn, well connected to pharmaceutical companies through NAMI, now works diligently through the media and her connections in Washington, DC, to expand TeenScreen using every possible avenue. One of the tactics, which was contrived by one of TeenScreen’s PR firms, is to keep track of teen suicides all over the country and then write letters to the editors of those local newspapers to market TeenScreen and take advantage of vulnerable communities in mourning. Flynn has “authored” most of those letters and comes across as very professional and caring in these letters. However, this is how she really talks with fellow marketing allies.

Laurie Flynn's Email -
“I'm looking for a horse to ride in here! ... I need to get some kids screened—if the schools are a road block we are interested in community organizations. Next week we are talking with the Boys and Girls Club in Pinellas. ...I also think we should see if local agencies or businesses could be engaged in ‘community screenings.’ Issue here is assuring the link to follow-up…”

—Laurie Flynn, from an email to Jim McDonough

Ron Paul objects to TeenScreen

Ron Paul Says :
“Congressional Control of Health Care is Dangerous for Children”
This week Congress is again grasping for more control over the health of American children with the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Parents who think federally subsidized health care might be a good idea should be careful what they wish for.

Despite political rhetoric about a War on Drugs, federally-funded programs result in far more teenage drug use than the most successful pill pusher on the playground. These pills are given out as a result of dubious universal mental health screening programs for school children, supposedly directed toward finding mental disorders or suicidal tendencies. The use of antipsychotic medication in children has increased fivefold between 1995 and 2002. More than 2.5 million children are now taking these medications, and many children are taking multiple drugs at one time.

With universal mental health screening being implemented in schools, pharmaceutical companies stand to increase their customer base even more, and many parents are rightfully concerned. Opponents of one such program called TeenScreen, claim it wrongly diagnoses children as much as 84% of the time, often incorrectly labeling them, resulting in the assigning of medications that can be very damaging. While we are still awaiting evidence that there are benefits to mental health screening programs, evidence that these drugs actually cause violent psychotic episodes is mounting.

Many parents have very valid concerns about the drugs to which a child labeled as “suicidal” or “depressed,” or even ADHD, could be subjected. Of further concern is the subjectivity of diagnosis of mental health disorders. The symptoms of ADHD are strikingly similar to indications that a child is gifted, and bored in an unchallenging classroom. In fact, these programs, and many of the syndromes they attempt to screen for, are highly questionable. Parents are wise to question them.

As it stands now, parental consent is required for these screening programs, but in some cases mere passive consent is legal. Passive consent is obtained when a parent receives a consent form and fails to object to the screening. In other words, failure to reply is considered affirmative consent. In fact, TeenScreen advocates incorporating their program into the curriculum as a way to by-pass any consent requirement. These universal, or mandatory, screening programs being called for by TeenScreen and the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health should be resisted.

Consent must be express, written, voluntary and informed. Programs that refuse to give parents this amount of respect, should not receive federal funding. Moreover, parents should not be pressured into screening or drugging their children with the threat that not doing so constitutes child abuse or neglect. My bill, The Parental Consent Act of 2007 is aimed at stopping federal funding of these programs.

We don’t need a village, a bureaucrat, or the pharmaceutical industry raising our children. That’s what parents need to be doing. Paul’s blog may be found at http://www.house.gov/paul/

Interview with a Columbine Shooting Victim

The Columbine shooters were both on psychological drugs. A tragic ending.

We can live without TeenScreen - Zizza

"It's about hoping, it's about dreaming, it's about never not believing. It's about taking a walk out on the wall, and....never looking down. It's about living, instead of dying, it's about spreading your wings and...flying. It's all about trying." - Pam Tillis, Country Music Superstar

I think it goes without saying that the last thing we want children to do is stop trying. This is especially true given the stark reality that far too many children these days possess an unhealthy sense of entitlement. Not to mention, they have an insatiable urge to seek instant gratification no matter the consequence.

As parents, we own a duty to insist that children do their best. We must show them how to work towards the proverbial "stars." Think about it. Even if children do not make it to the stars, at least being half way there, is a lot farther than they ever would have been if they only worked towards satisfying low expectations.

So, yes. It's all about trying.

We can do so much within our power to raise children with a proper sense of vision. Raising children to be at least semi-normal takes plenty of hard work and dedication. We can ensure that children live a life full of good mental health. This often takes making an effort to be aware of bad mental health programs/ideas within our culture.

Certainly, there are things that children - especially those in middle school and high school - should live without. Low frustration levels. Low resistance to peer pressure. High regard for the easy way out. High regard for bashing this great country of ours.

Let us not forget to mention something else that children and their parents can do without.

It's a child suicide screening initiative that goes by the slick name of - TeenScreen.

TeenScreen claims it is needed to screen middle school/high school students so potential suicides can be prevented. But then again, what can we really believe that comes out of Columbia University anymore? If you can allow the President of Iran to speak at a once honorable institution, the chances are quite good you're lying about what TeenScreen does. No, TeenScreen does not prevent suicide. In fact, it turns normal to semi-normal children into mental health patients. Yeah, right. This is just what we need more of!

TeenScreen operates in 43 states, and at 450 locations. Mostly middle schools and high schools. These children are fresh meat for those who want to provide more young minds with more psychiatric labels and drugs. TeenScreen is a multi-level process that does not simply end after a young student takes a computerized ten minute questionnaire.

God help us all if this is the working standard of psychiatry today.

Well, if hacks at Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Health think that they can properly diagnosis someone as mentally ill in six minutes, I suppose anything is possible.

Now, if certain responses are received, students are referred for mental health services. Mental health services that you know damn well include psychiatric drugs. I mean, what else do mental health services have to offer these days other than - drugs? Parental consent here is a scam, and you must know something is wrong about TeenScreen since NAMI thinks there are so many things right about it.

Interestingly, and what seems to fuel support for scams like TeenScreen, are lies concerning the number of "youth" who are either suicidal or have other mental health issues. It seems the percentage changes daily. Perhaps it depends on where you get your news. It's safe to say that the average accepted lie is that 20 percent of America's youth could be defined as having a mental disorder. To make matters worse, there is a second lie. And that lie goes like this - only 20 percent of all youth who can be "identified" as mentally ill receive mental health services.

Sorry, but I think that number is a lot higher. Consider all the children in this country who are on drugs and forced into therapy. In some school districts, I wouldn't doubt that half the student body are improperly drugged, labeled as mentally ill. All the while, we are led down the slippery slope of this "pill for every ill" mind-set in an alleged effort to quell the alleged epidemic of youth suicide. Talk therapy - yes. Psychiatric drugs and labels for growing brains - no.

We must do something hard and fast to prevent programs like TeenScreen from entering even more states and locations. Shouldn't we wonder why they operate so secretively? Shouldn't we wonder why so many folks on their advisory board have ties to Big Pharma? Shouldn't we wonder why so many of the organizations that support TeenScreen directly benefit from its referral system?

So many contradictions. So many questions. So many platitudes.

Life is all about allowing your children to spread their wings and fly. It's also all about knowing things they should stay away from. After all, they're your children, and YOU know their mental health better than any other weasel who claims to be a "mental health professional."

zizza

We can do without TeenScreen.

Encouraging Positivity to Ward Off Teen Depression

Remember: If your child seems depressed, do not leave it to the schools and the teenscreen program to figure out the problem! Your child will end up on mind-numbing drugs and suicidal...

Teenagers can quite be vulnerable. After all, they're in a stage when peer pressure is influential. They tend to be idealistic, expecting perfection from themselves, from others and the world. They may feel like they have to keep up with so many rules and standards. Until they may fail to keep up, and this could lead to frustration, and eventually teen depression. It is an awkward stage indeed- the teenage years. It is a transition period, and oftentimes a teenager could be at a loss. One primary issue is the search for identity. Such is crucial and this can be a struggle.

Emotional hang-ups are often a major concern among teenagers. And this would be where parents come in. What are parents for but to guide and protect and not only to provide. Parents serve as role models to their children, and this is a very significant responsibility. It's often not what parents preach that teenagers follow, but what parents do, and what they are. In the teenage years, one might be taken aback by problems and issues of adolescence. These can lead to teen depression. Teenagers are in that stage when they are molding themselves and their attitude. It doesn't come so easy until one is able to define themselves.

It is in fact a trial and error method, hit and miss. Problems can crop up in the whole process and there is the inevitability of emotional growing pains. These can make one susceptible to teen depression. Parents must strive to lift off the heavy weight that their teenager may harbor. It would not so much be in nagging or preaching, but in being positive. When one has a positive outlook, they would be buoyant and confident. They're ready to face life head on and anticipating only what is best. When parents are like this, their positive energy can rub off on their children.

Positivity is contagious, as often said. And so their children would become positive people, too. That even though problems arise, they are confident that they can keep up with the challenge. They would not easily back down or get discouraged. Positive energy would pull them up in confidence rather than sinking into teen depression. A teenager may have self-esteem issues. This owing to peer pressure, or perhaps due to their upbringing as well. This is where parents must strive to encourage their children to believe in themselves. To be confident in their own capabilities and to cultivate their own talents.

It could be a tough world being in the arena of teenagers. Competition can be stiff, and one could be exposed to criticism. A sensitive and unconfident teenager may find it arduous to struggle in such an environment. But parents ought to be there to dispel the negative energy that their children carry. It's all about positivity and inculcating them on to children until they become stable adults. This is to prevent any damage that might be caused on the children's self-esteem during adolescence. Only then can they become better individuals and able, mature and well-rounded adults in the future.

The author of this article Rose Windale is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose decided to share her knowledge and tips through her website http://www.healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free newsletter and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

Teen Depression Facts and Myths

Depression is a mental health disorder that can have a serious effect on a person's life. Although it can affect people of all ages, it can be especially tough for a teenager to deal with. While it's normal for a teen to act out or be moody at times, depression is different and isn't something to be shrugged off. Untreated depression can lead to the increased possibility of risky behavior, including alcohol or drug abuse, and even suicide.

In the United States, approximately 20% of teens will experience some form of depression before they reach the age of 18, but it's important to know that depression is a very treatable disorder. Through awareness and education, teens will be more likely to receive the proper treatment. One of the ways to bring about greater awareness is by debunking the myths commonly associated with depression.

Myth: Teens don't really get depressed. It's just hormones or moodiness.

While it's true that bouts of sadness or occasional moodiness can be part of the teen years, these moods usually pass quickly. But when feelings of intense sadness linger for several weeks, it may be a sign of clinical depression. Some other signs of clinical depression include:

• A loss of interest in things they normally enjoy
• Persistent sadness, frequent bouts of crying or tearfulness
• Lack of interest in personal hygiene
• Changes in appetite (either overeating or lack of appetite)
• Changes in sleep patterns, either oversleeping or insomnia
• Frequent irritation or bursts of anger
• Acting out, such as getting into trouble at school
• Alcohol or drug use

Myth: Teens who get depressed are only making excuses. They just need to toughen up and pull themselves together.

This type of thinking will only make the depression worse. Depression is not a sign of weakness; it's a very real and treatable disorder.

Myth: Talking about depression will only make it worse.

Talking with a trained therapist will help them find positive ways to deal with their emotions, work on coping and communication skills, and develop better ways to handle relationships. If it's necessary, medication may be prescribed by a physician to help them cope. Whether it's therapy, or a combination of therapy and medication, teens can find relief from depression and get their lives back.

If you feel your teen is experiencing depression, let them know that help is available and that you are there to support them. With proper help and attention, things can get better.

TeenZeen serves parents and teenagers by providing them with teen drug abuse and alcohol prevention information. Almost 40% of teens admit to having used an illicit drug or alcohol and two-thirds admit to binge drinking. Save a loved one from the dangers of drugs and alcohol, including addiction and even death, by visiting http://www.teenzeen.org

Bills that Protect Children from TeenScreen

Believe it or not, there ARE bills passed by the American government that actually protect children from TeenScreen. Get educated about these bills and exercise yours and your children's rights as American citizens.

Two bills now before Congress will prevent this kind of abuse and prevent the use of Federal funds for mental health screening such as Teen Screen. S. 891, the "Child Medication Safety Act" was introduced into the Senate by Senators Inhoff and Coburn on March 15, 2007. Here is the heart of the Act:

SEC. 2. REQUIRED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

(a) In General- As a condition of receiving funds under any program or activity administered by the Secretary of Education, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each State shall develop and implement policies and procedures prohibiting school personnel from requiring a child to obtain a prescription for substances covered by section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) or a psychotropic drug as a condition of attending school or receiving services.

(b) Rule of Construction- Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to create a Federal prohibition against teachers and other school personnel consulting or sharing classroom-based observations with parents or guardians regarding a student's academic performance or behavior in the classroom or school, or regarding the need for evaluation for special education or related services under section 612(a)(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1412 (a)(3)).

(c) Prohibition of Payment of Funds- No Federal education funds may be paid to any local educational agency or other instrument of government that uses the refusal of a parent or legal guardian to provide a substance covered by section 202 (c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) or a psychotropic drug for such individual's child of a charge of child abuse, child neglect, education neglect, or medical neglect until the agency or instrument demonstrates that it is no longer using such refusal as a basis of a child abuse, child neglect, education neglect, or medical neglect charge.

TeenScreen: Manipulating Normal Children

Teen Screen Makes Children Think That They Are Mentally Ill, when In FACT, they are normal... Look at some of the questions raised during the survey.

Next, the child is given a paper and pencil test over about 10 minutes with highly suggestive and/or meaningless questions like:

• Has there been a time when nothing was fun for you and you just weren't interested in anything?
• Has there been a time when you felt you couldn't do anything well or that you weren't as good-looking or as smart as other people?
• How often did your parents get annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?
• Have you often felt very nervous when you've had to do things in front of people?
• Have you often worried a lot before you were going to play a sport or game or do some other activity?
• Have you tried to kill yourself in the last year?
• Are you still thinking of killing yourself?
• Have you thought seriously about killing yourself?
• Have you often thought about killing yourself??
• Have you ever tried to kill yourself?

Normal children answering honestly will endorse at least one of the first 5 questions. That is enough to get them "diagnosed" with one supposed mental health disorder or another.

TeenSceen: How it Works...

How Teen Screen Works

TeenScreen lures kids as young as 9 years old into taking the suicide survey by offering them free movie passes, food coupons, "I completed TeenScreen" stress balls, pizza parties, and candy bars - if they consent to the procedure.

One tactic TeenScreen officials use is to sell the child on the suicide survey first, and after they have the child's agreement, they later contact parents.

TeenScreen Project Coordinator, Kathleen Cigich, was quoted as saying: "We found early on that sending out letters directly to parents is prohibitively time consuming and gets a low response rate. We thought, why not go to students themselves and offer a $5 video store coupon to anyone who brings back a parental consent form within a two-day turnaround period. It works. Our response rate is extremely high."

TeenScreen, State-Drugging and Suicide

This pharmaceutical industry backed pill-pushing scheme cons school kids into taking a survey full of loaded questions and then uses the results to convince parents that their kids need to be on dangerous mind-altering drugs that have now been linked to suicide and other violent acts in children.

Enough cannot be said when it comes to the power of mental persuasion with kids. Most children feel lonely, depressed, like they don't fit in, like they are different than others, like they are not smart enough, good-looking enough, or popular enough at one time or another. This is normal thinking for all adolescents.

The TeenScreen pill-pushing squad takes advantage of normal and vulnerable kids when it goes into schools with a survey that them loaded questions about these normal notions and feelings, forever planting in their minds that such thoughts are abnormal.

The survey phrases questions calculated to produce one answer, yes. It asks whether you have EVER felt this way or that way?

Until then, sure kids have these thoughts sometimes, but they don't dwell on them and they usually pass as quickly as they came. However, after taking a survey that suggests that these feelings are abnormal, kids will dwell on them. Because according to the promoters of TeenScreen, if they ever feel this way they are not normal.

So next thing you know, Susie and Tommie go running to a teacher and say, ìyou know, now that you mention it, I do have these feelings, I must be mentally ill.î

Mission accomplished. It's that easy.

Just like that, the scheme nets two new customers for the pharmaceutical industry. All the survey had to do was plant the idea in Susie and Tommie's mind.

In the words of anti-drugging advocate, Ken Kramer, "So even the kids who are not tested "positive" on TeenScreen get sent to the shrinks because the booby trap has been setup to catch them later!"

Ken gets it.

Then its time for step two of the scheme. Although Tommie and Susie are hooked, they still have to convince mom and dad to hurry to the drug store to purchase some very expensive (but magic) pills to keep Susie and Tommie from committing suicide.

And if mom and dad won't agree to put their kid on drugs, they will be accused of being horrible parents, surely guilty of neglect, for not caring about saving their poor suicidal children.

So in the end, often against their better judgment, Mom and Dad buy the pills. This is where the danger lies. Tommie starts taking the drugs, goes out and does something really crazy, like shooting up a classroom or killing his parents, and ends up in prison.

Next thing you know, Tommie thinks to himself, I am not only nuts, I am a horrible rotten person and hangs himself in his jail cell.

How often does something like this happen in real life? Too often.

Its time to start placing the blame for the rise in teen suicide where it belongs; on the greedy bastards involved in programs like TeenScreen who invent schemes to get our kids hooked on these dangerous drugs in the first place.

They are the real drug-pushers and suicide-enablers.

Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for Independent Media TV and an investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government.