Merrow report; Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?

thumbnail of Merrow report; Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?
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Series
Merrow report
Episode
Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?
Producing Organization
South Carolina Educational Television Network
Learning Matters (Firm)
Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.)
Contributing Organization
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-526-w950g3jb29
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Description
Episode Description
"The dramatic growth in the number of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is largely the result of a clandestine financial relationship between a drug company and a self-styled ADD 'support group'. "Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, maker of the popular ADD drug Ritalin, gave CHADD (for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) nearly 1 million dollars in cash and hundreds of thousands more in valuable in-kind contributions. The grants, which began in 1988, helped CHADD distribute information on ADD and Ritalin to hundreds of thousands of parents and teachers'information that we documented was often incorrect, incomplete, and exaggerated the benefits of drug treatment. As a result, diagnoses of ADD quadrupled; prescription rates for Ritalin rose 500%; CHADD opened hundreds of new chapters across the country; and documented cases of Ritalin abuse by teenagers skyrocketed. "Ciba-Geigy and CHADD threatened to take legal action in an attempt to stop the broadcast, but PBS and our funders held firm. As a result of our reporting, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration rejected CHADD's effort to deregulate Ritalin; the UN International Narcotics Control Board began an investigation of both organizations and the US Department of Education withdrew videos about ADD which, as we reported, contained misleading information about Ritalin'information provided by CHADD."--1995 Peabody Awards entry form.
Broadcast Date
1995-10-20
Asset type
Episode
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
00:59:34.371
Credits
Producing Organization: South Carolina Educational Television Network
Producing Organization: Learning Matters (Firm)
Producing Organization: Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.)
AAPB Contributor Holdings
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia
Identifier: cpb-aacip-43b66647380 (Filename)
Format: U-matic
Duration: 0:57:02
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Citations
Chicago: “Merrow report; Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?,” 1995-10-20, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed April 18, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-w950g3jb29.
MLA: “Merrow report; Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?.” 1995-10-20. The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. April 18, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-w950g3jb29>.
APA: Merrow report; Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?. Boston, MA: The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-w950g3jb29