Is It OK For The Government To Force Children To Receive Psychiatric Drugs?

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There has been a constant pressure from "mental health groups" to use mental health techniques to screen people for mental problems, including the screening of school children for mental problems that might prevent them from succeeding in school.  When these mental health techniques are examined they generally involve the use of drugs such as Ritalin, or other psychiatric drugs.

The question is, is it "right" for the government to be endorsing or even forcing such mental treatment on children?  What is the obligation of a parent who learns that HIS or HER child my be subjected to such screening, and that such screening may lead to forced drugging with mood-altering drugs?

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The opinions:

Opinion One:

According to the British Medical Journal, a sweeping U.S. mental health initiative will be unveiled in July which proposes to screen every man, woman and child in America for mental "illness." The initiative was prompted by a March 2004 progress report by The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. President George W. Bush appointed the commission to advise him on ways of improving the mental health system. However, psychiatric advice has grossly misled the President and the American people. 

The U.S. Government must not support mandatory mental health screenings, or the increase of subjective psychiatric diagnosis of Americans that then demand their taking dangerous psychiatric drugs or undergoing other harmful treatments. (Source)

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Opinion Two:

President Bush said,

"... Americans must understand and send this message: mental disability is not a scandal - it is an illness. And like physical illness, it is treatable, especially when the treatment comes early."  (source)

In a transformed mental health system, the early detection of mental health problems in children and adults - through routine and comprehensive testing and screening - will be an expected and typical occurrence. At the first sign of difficulties, preventive interventions will be started to keep problems from escalating. For example, a child whose serious emotional disturbance is identified early will receive care, preventing the potential onset of a co-occurring substance use disorder and breaking a cycle that otherwise can lead to school failure and other problems. (source)