NT LEGAL EXPERTS : IMPORTANT QUESTION! HELP!

[imreallydirknowitzki]

This is the scenario:

Parents are giving medicine to a child who is perfectly well, anti-depressants with serious side effects, such as hallucination, anxiety, depression, and evensuicidal thoughts. The child is 17, and knows that they are perfectly well, and do not need this medicine. The child isn't being forced, but the medicineis being given without their knowledge, until today. The child is feeling the side-effects and doesn't like the drug, but is scared of what the parentswill do if confronted.

How legal is this?

Can a parent force a child, who is perfectly well, to take unnecessary medicine? Especially if that medicine is causing negative side effects?

Serious responses only please, as this is a serious problem.

 

[bud dink]

*waits for hovkid*

 

[juju]

its not legal at all.

 

[moonmaster3]

This is Angoon.

 

[scribble253]

Stop taking the medication. For legal reasons, at age 17 in most states you're consider an adult.

 

[hovkid]

I AM A CORPORATE LAWYER, NOT A CRIMINAL OR TORT LAWYER SO TAKE WHAT I SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

If this is a legal drug we are talking about, being given in doses prescribed by a doctor, it's going to be very hard to prove liability.

The fact that the child didn't know the medicine was being given is very shady though.

If a parent forces a child to take uneccessary medecine and the child is harmed by that medicine, I would think the parents face criminal liability. Veryinteresting question.

I think you'd have a very high hurdle in proving wrongding if there is a doctor prescribing the medecine and its being given in accordance with theprescription.

Why doesn't the child say he/she is better off without it? How would the child know the medicine did these things if the child didn't even know he/shewas taking it? I think the child needs to go to a doctor, tell them what is going on and see if there has been any damage.

 

[dc1323]

If the drugs are prescribed to the child UNDER the age of 18, the parents have a DUTY in most cases to administer the drug. If NOT prescribed, taking meds thathave NOT been prescribed is a felony, (correct me if thats wrong.)

Further, if the 17 year old minor that is being forced meds sounds odd.

I guess what I'm saying is... i need more facts

 

[imreallydirknowitzki]

The thing is, this child used to be on these anti-depressants, and was cleared, by the doctor, 4 months ago that they were no longer necessary. But apparentlythe parent kept the remaining pills and recently has been administering them secretly to the child. The child began to feel the side effects and wondered ifthey were somehow back on the drug, and the suspicions were confirmed when they found out by accident. the child is scared to confront the parents because ofprevious abuse.

 

[dc1323]

There's a lot more than prescription/drug abuse going on there.

No disrespect, but instead of posting on NT, call your local PD and explain to them the situation. Many states treat misuse of prescribed drugs the same as"street" drugs.

If you don't want to do that, call your local CPS. They will definitely advocate for the child.

Without the help of the child, it makes your (his/her) case that much harder to prove.

Good luck w/that OP.

 

[imreallydirknowitzki]

I'm not sure about getting the police involved because one of the child's parents is a high-profile and well-respected lawyer. I have the help of thechild, but we want to be sure to make the right notions before going to the local PD.

 

[dathbgboy]

I have to agree w/ HovKid, I'm sure somethin is fishy but it's pretty hard to prove anything especially bein that the victim is still a minor and underthe custody of their parents. Is it illegal? More than likely. It's more wrong morally imo, but I'm not a lawyer yet so I guess u can void my statement

 

[imreallydirknowitzki]