. . . scientology . net . au

November 28, 2007

Opening the "Psychiatry: an Industry of Death" exhibition today, Kate Ceberano warns parents about the dangers of Psychiatric drugging of our next generation

Multi-award winning performer Kate Ceberano and her director husband Lee Rogers helped open a riveting exhibition "Psychiatry: an Industry of Death" today at Melbourne University, speaking out for parental and children's rights. They were raising awareness about what they call a "public crisis" in Australia - a 10 fold increase since 1992 in children being prescribed stimulants more potent than cocaine.

The exhibit's sponsor, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a mental health watchdog group, said that children are dying from psychiatric drugs, some as young as 7 in Australia and 5 in the United States. Hundreds around the world have committed suicide while taking antidepressants, and those taking stimulants are at risk of hallucinations, psychosis, heart attacks, strokes and death.

Ms. Ceberano, who advocates for all countries to adopt the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, told the audience that Article 26 provides for the right for everyone to enjoy an education, but for children, they should also have the right to experience this drug-free. "Psychiatrists have altered that to mean children having problems in school should be labelled mentally disordered, or 'ADHD,' and drugged. Normal childhood behaviour is being drugged with stimulants that medical doctors call 'kiddy cocaine,'" she said.

Lee Rogers, who directed a short-film called "What's the Matter?" about the dangers of psychiatric drugs creating a "pop-a-pill culture," said that more than 75,000 prescriptions were written for those under 15 years of age in Victoria alone in 2005/06. Nationwide sales of antidepressants have soared from $12 million in 1993 to $200 million a decade later. "This Exhibit shows the dire need for Australia to 'wake up' to what is happening to our future generation. The mass poisoning of it with psychotropic drugs is child abuse."

Ms. Ceberano said that she simply wants parents to be better informed and urged them "to tour the Exhibit because it provides information that those with a vested interest in drugging children would prefer they didn't have."

Lloyd Wyles, Executive Director of the National Indigenous Human Rights Congress for Australia, also spoke about the Aboriginal children being at risk of psychiatric drug use and abuse and saidthat given the potentially lethal nature of these drugs, no child should be subjected to them. Mr Wyles said "I support any legislation that is put forward to ban the prescribing of ADHD drugs to children under the age of 6 and antidepressants to children under 18."

CCHR wants the federal government to increase drug warnings to better inform parents and consumers and to have all drug information packaging advise them that adverse drug reactions should immediately be reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Use of such drugs on children should be prohibited.

EXHIBIT HOURS: From 2pm on the 28th of November to 23rd of December, the exhibit will be at Shop RW04 Waterfront City Docklands; OPEN Sun - Thur 1pm -8pm and Fri - Sat 1pm - 9pm and Public Admission is FREE.

The Exhibit contains a 14-part documentary showing the history of psychiatry's human rights abuses, using graphic footage from psychiatry's archives and contemporary interviews about the rise in psychotropic drug use, especially since the late 1980s. Public literature on a wide range of topics relating to mental health is available.

CCHR is established by the Church of Scientology and renowned international psychiatrist and author, Professor Thomas Szasz. The group's national Executive Director, Ms. Shelley Wilkens, said that the Exhibit was opened to coincide with the World Psychiatric Association holding its congress in Melbourne, supported by more than $300,000 in pharmaceutical company funding.