Drug companies share blame for addictions

Re “Their Drugs of Choice” [Feb. 7]: The real “movers and shakers” behind [teens’ abuse of prescription drugs] are the pharmaceutical companies that, as the article points out, engage in widespread marketing of these drugs.

Unfortunately, when one looks very close, one finds out that medications such as antidepressants and “treatments” for ADHD are based on little to no scientific fact, but on gross amounts of hypothesizing and not a small thirst for profit. It’s not surprising, then, to find pages and pages listing side effects for these drugs, including violence and suicidal and homicidal tendencies.

Someday, hopefully sooner than later, these companies will be taken to task for the complete lack of scientific method and integrity in their research and marketing of these drugs. The tobacco companies were made responsible for their marketing to teens -- now it’s the pharmaceuticals’ turn.

Bruce Boyers

Glendale

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Shame on the pathetic parents who taught their kids that a pill will solve any problem (real or imagined) -- and then had the abominable irresponsibility to make them available.

More shame on the psychologists who are themselves pushing the most debilitating drugs in schools.

Caroline Putnam

Montrose