U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), during a confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services Director nominee Robert F.
Kennedy, Jr., last week said this: “We have an attention deficit problem in this country… When you and I were growing up, our parents didn’t use a drug, they used a belt and whipped our butt… Nowadays, we give them Adderall and Ritalin.
They are like candy across college and high school campuses.”Kennedy, in his response to Tuberville, falsely claimed that 15% of American children are taking Adderall or other ADHD medications, and that the U.S.
is “overmedicating our children” with stimulants, SSRIs, and benzodiazepines for mental health conditions. This juxtaposition — criticizing the American pharmaceutical industry after suggesting corporal punishment as a healthier alternative — struck many in the ADHD community as toxic and dangerous.The American Psychological Association (APA) passed a resolution in 2019 urging against physical discipline for children, citing research demonstrating that corporal punishment harms children’s mental health and increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in the future.