I am a cynic when it comes to children’s charities. I have stopped even thinking of donating to a charity that uses children to pull at the purse strings of the donor. Just the other day at a famous coffee shop, right by the cash, was a box that said something to the effect, “children – donate”. Sure, there was some worthy cause connected to it, but not a lot of information about what you were donating to and why. It was felt that simply putting “child” on the label was enough to part you from your spare change.

So, when it comes to the overmedication of the children, permit me to be just a tiny bit cynical. Not for the reasons you are thinking. It is horribly wrong to stuff children full of unproven psychiatric drugs for dubious diagnoses. But, are we overlooking that is is just as wrong to stuff adults full of these same unproven drugs for dubious diagnoses? Why is a 17 year old a child and an 18 year old an adult when it comes to bad medication and lack of access to more effective non-drug interventions? Let’s not let the wholesale assault on adults go unlamented. If it’s wrong for children, it’s wrong for adults.

I will continue to ignore charities “for the kids”, because I know that child poverty is adult poverty – just a fancy way of diverting your attention from the totality of the problem.