Dear Ms Weaver,

I am writing to you regarding your article entitled "Party use of ADHD drugs" and published on Sunday the 8th of February.  I am a psychologist, family mediator and (pending my Australian registration) a lawyer and I work with Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ), the state's peak youth body.

We have been involved in a campaign over the past 6-7 years to raise public awareness about the overdiagnosis of "ADHD" and the overuse of stimulant medication on children throughout Australia.  Needless to say, we read your article with great interest.

Whenever we see phrases like "Young ADHD sufferers.." and "ADHD patients" we feel a responsibility to articulate the "other side", which is that this is an unreliable and specious diagnosis at best, and a fraud at worst.  You might want to visit the YANQ website and look over our "Celebrate, Don't Medicate" campaign materials at www.yanq.org.au/celebrate.

I would very much like the opportunity to talk with you and perhaps see if a follow-up article might be appropriate.  It is bad enough that the drugs are used for "party use", but when you factor in that they are completely inappropriate and unnecessary in the first place, it makes a bad situation that much more egregious. 

I can be reached via this e-mail or at my YANQ e-mail (ydaq1 at yanq dot org dot au) .  You can phone me at YANQ at (07) 3844 7713 or on my mobile at 04 0807 5808.

I look forward to talking with you

Dr. Bob Jacobs

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