No more ritalin for depression in Japan
Posted by Matt Dioguardi on September 22nd, 2007
Yomiuri reports in an article this morning that Novartis is “expected to apply to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to have the psychotropic drug Ritalin removed from a list of drugs used to treat intractable and protracted depression that are covered by health insurance.”
That’s really incredible. The article also reports “Abuse of the drug has become widespread among young people who have become dependent on it.”
It is exceedingly rare for a company to actually request their product not be allowed to be sold for certain problems.
Last year 33.7 million pills were sold in Japan, which was up 20% from 2002.
This article follows up on an another article that was recently reported by Mainichi.
The article in the Mainichi reported that
Numerous Internet postings advertising sales of the mood-altering drug Ritalin have appeared on the Internet, it has emerged. … One woman in her 30s living in the Tokyo Metropolitan area reportedly began collecting Ritalin pills four years ago. She reportedly went around five clinics in Tokyo and Yokohama, and easily obtained the drug by saying, “That’s what the last hospital I went to gave me.” She then reportedly sold her large supply over the Internet.
People in America really should take note of this. If I’m not mistaken sales of Ritalin in America are still tremendous, as America consumes more ritalin than any other country. It goes without saying not all this retalin goes to children with ADD or ADHD. Believe it or not ritalin is quite a popular drug on Wall Street.
Of course, all one needs to do is Google ritalin to find many of its detractors. You’ll almost immediately find article like “Death from Ritalin the truth behind ADHD” and “Ritalin Abuse | Ritalin Side Effects” If one were to actually start digging I’m sure one could find a lot more than that.
I’ve mentioned on this blog that I am fan of Thomas Szasz. In more than one of his books he deals with the absurdity of drug policy in America and its internal contradictions. You have schools lined with “Don’t do drugs!” signs talking about the evils of drugs, while at the same time a large number of students are being systematically drugged. You know somethings not right there.
This development in Japan over ritalin is pretty interesting. I’ve been watching with sadness as drugs for mental illnesses have gradually been gaining acceptance in Japan. I don’t really expect the tide to turn, but then again you never know.
Previous posts on this topic:
Mental illness growing in Japan
Bullying caused boy’s suicide, high court rules