Drugging Kids on Planes - My Family Travels

Drugging Kids on Planes

Article By: Kaleel Sakakeeny

New Media Travel

When we created a Travel Video PostCard video a year or more ago about the practice of some parents giving their kids Benadryl or a related “drug” to keep the kids calm during a flight, we were not prepared for the volume and intensity of the feedback.

Full-fledged arguments broke out among viewers and followers, and it often wasn’t pretty. We were interviewed by the Associated Press on the topic of drugging kids, spoke to health care providers, posted our results… and the comments kept coming from parents, flight attendants, health care workers, flyers and others.

We are fascinated by the range of opinions and the passions stirred up by the topic, so every so often we update readers with the most recent comments about drugging kids on planes. Here are a few, unedited except to take out the expletives:

You can watch the Travel Video PostCard at www.travelvideopostcard.com

“Nevertheless, there comes a point where a parent can’t control all the stress factors involved that can make a kid go into a tantrum. Adults who travel know how hard it is to keep OURSELVES well fed, hydrated, rested, and entertained, and even when we aren’t and become stressed we (mostly) know how to control our impulse to let people know we’re unhappy. Children do not, and I don’t see a problem with THEM using a chemical aid to help them overcome that stress and calm down until journey’s end.”

“Why not (drug kids)? I (expletive) hate it when I have to sit there defencelessly with that little (expletive) crying for something stupid like toys and their tiny cake stuffed ears hurting. Kids are menace! If the medical proffesions have no opinion, it could be because they are not giving a (expletive), or it’s the right thing to do. DRUG THEM!”

“Naturally, I strongly advise everybody viewing this video to ignore this person.”

“It seems like the medical community HAS made a statement: let the parent decide. Benadryl is NOT a controlled substance. I think it SHOULD be up to the parent – not a doctor – to decide if s/he will give a child a chemical aid to help them overcome the stress of travel. Doctors should be on hand to advise on the possible side effects of its use, and offer alternatives, but in the end that’s all they can do in this case: advise. And that’s what they have done.”

“I think the medical profession refusing to comment is more of a moral issue they don’t want to touch rather than refusing definitive medical advice. I mean, why wouldn’t it be safe if we can give kids benadryl anyway for allergies? If docs said it was safe they could be perceived as committing to a moral position on this rather than strictly providing medical advice for parents to use. That would put their asses on the line in the eyes of the general public and no doc wants that…”

“you obviously have no kids and are probably very young- ive flown twice when my daughter was only 3 and 4. its all about how the parents prepare them for a flight; plenty of coloring books; & other things they can bring on to keep them occupied. youde be amazed at just how well just doing the right thing works! your obviously not very well-informed; because there ARE airlines that have stopped & kicked a family off with a misbehaving child. drugs arent the answer you idiot.”

That’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to opinions on drugging kids on planes. What do you think??

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