Educators Back White House On Psychiatric-Drug Plan

By Jessica Portner

Teachers' unions and school health workers last week championed the Clinton administration's campaign to reverse a recent upswing in the prescription of psychiatric drugs to preschoolers.

While they said classrooms should be calm places of learning, the educators echoed the White House's concern that very young pupils are sometimes issued medications unnecessarily.

"Classrooms should be free of disruptions so all children can learn," said Nat LaCour, the executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Pushing psychiatric drugs on a child with behavioral problems may be a quick fix, but could be...