We’ve all wished for it at one time or another. It may have been with your son who can’t sit still in school, your niece who was throwing a temper tantrum, or a child who wouldn’t stop crying on that redeye flight. Wouldn’t it be nice to pull out a tranquilizer dart and “poof” turn that little Tasmanian devil into a calm, quiet, sleeping beauty?
That idea is not far from reality. Tranquilizer darts often contain antipsychotic drugs, which are increasingly prescribed to our children. From 1993 to 2002, the number of office-based visits that included an antipsychotic drug increased more than 500 percent.
