Phoenix Journal 208 - Four Winds 10

expected to give AT&T a competitive edge in the battle for providing local service. AT&T says it is now
working on techniques that will greatly increase the capacity of the 10MHz spectrum and make it as fast as
fiber-optic delivery. During the past two years, AT&T has quietly acquired through FCC auctions the
licenses in the 10MHz spectrum it needs to provide service to 93 percent of the country. [End quoting]
The service will be a useful upgrade for many, but they’ll probably price it beyond most people’s pocketbooks.
NOW PROZAC FOR
TEENAGE DEPRESSION
Excerpted from THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, ??/??/97, [quoting:]
Warning: Prozac, a widely used antidepressant for adults, is about to be approved for use by children.
Eli Lilly & Co., the drug’s manufacturer, is expected to win FDA approval this summer to begin marketing
the drug as a treatment for depression in preteens and teens.
The drug has been on the market for a decade and is sometimes prescribed for youngsters, but approval
will mean the first media blitz to encourage its use among 8- to 15-year-olds who are going through
perhaps the most difficult years of growing up.
Though Prozac has worked wonders in some patients and will undoubtedly help children who need something
more than life has provided thus far, physicians and parents should approach its availability with
caution and skepticism.
The drug, which affects the brain chemical serotonin, can alter moods and significantly affect behavior—
not always in a positive way. Each child’s case must be decided on an individual basis.
Critics fear overuse of the drug—much like what happened with Ritalin, the so-called miracle drug that
gained popularity in the 1980s to treat hyperactivity in boys and girls. Now comes Prozac, another highly
touted drug that reportedly can change a depressed and anxious child into a happy-go-lucky, cheerful
student over time.
And then again, perhaps not. Depression, a serious but little-understood disease among a significant
portion of adults, is even less understood in children. Doctors know that clinical depression in adults
goes beyond feelings of sadness and temporary discomfort with social conditions. In kids, the diagnosis is
often less certain.
School, shyness, an unhappy family situation and difficult relationships with other youngsters can cause
distress. Having the wrong clothes, an imperfect haircut or a poor test grade has been known to send kids’
moods into a tailspin. Pouting is a way of life for some youngsters, particularly among those who have
learned that the quickest way to get what they want is by acting ornery. It’s not unusual for teens to be
sullen.
Prozac may indeed be the answer for some. But parents struggling to cope with the difficult teen years
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