Trending...
- Mayor Michelle Wu and Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement Celebrate 30 Years of Boston Mayor's Youth Council
- Boston: Community Meeting to Share a Progress Update for the New Community Center in the North End
- Boston: Cummins Highway Construction Update: June 2025
CCHR Praises New Precedent-Setting Law Linking Psychiatric Drug Use to Public Safety Risks
LOS ANGELES - BostonChron -- A landmark law recently passed in Tennessee raises awareness about psychotropic drugs linked to potential violent behavior, marking a paradigm shift in advancing public safety and accountability for these prescriptions. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International, a mental health industry watchdog, praised the regulations as timely, given that May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
The new law mandates toxicology testing for psychotropic drugs in autopsies of certain deceased mass shooters. Sheila Matthews, Vice President of the parents' rights group, ABLECHILD, and Amy Miller, an advocate for pharmaceutical industry reform, helped draft the legislation, which also directs the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to study interactions between psychotropic drugs and other substances found in violent perpetrators.[1]
Some 77 million Americans take psychotropic drugs, including over 6 million children and youths. While acknowledging that this does not mean all consumers could become violent, CCHR says that Tennessee, recognizing the need for rigorous oversight and accountability, will benefit consumer informed consent rights and increase public safety.
Matthews commented on the nationwide—and global—effects it could create, calling it a "blueprint for dismantling the wall of secrecy" about the violent adverse effects of some psychotropics. "When someone commits mass murder," Matthews continued, "the public has a right to know if mind-altering drugs played a role."
The law requires the county medical examiner to test a deceased perpetrator for the presence of any drugs, including prescription psychotropics, and must disclose the drug use to the University of Tennessee's health science center and the Department of Health.
CCHR says the law is a vital first step but should be expanded. It currently applies only if the perpetrator is deceased and four or more people are killed, with no requirement for testing or disclosure if the perpetrator survives. CCHR is urging other states to adopt similar laws with broader testing and public reporting to strengthen transparency and accountability.
More on Boston Chron
CCHR says the results of those tests could be filed with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Adverse Drug Reporting (ADR) system, which could flag the need for further investigations and studies. Already, the FDA has reports of at least 1,530 cases of homicide/homicidal ideation recorded as linked to psychiatric drugs.[2]
A 2010 study published in Public Library of Science ONE analyzed the FDA's ADRs and identified 25 prescription psychiatric drugs disproportionately associated with violence. These included antidepressants, sedative/hypnotics, and drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The cases of violence linked to these drugs ranged from homicide and physical assaults to homicidal ideation and violence-related symptoms.[3]
In November 2019, The Violence Project, funded by the U.S. Justice Department, released the largest, most comprehensive database of mass shooters in the United States.[4] A 2021 analysis of the database by Voice of America, the state-owned news network of the US, revealed that 23% of the mass shooters had been on psychiatric drugs.[5] This was likely greatly underreported, as researchers did not have access to all of the perpetrators' toxicology and medical records, only whatever information was publicly available.[6]
At least one antidepressant lists "homicidal ideation" as a side effect; a common stimulant may cause "suicidal or homicidal tendencies," according to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. A 2023 article warned that antipsychotics can sometimes cause violence, agitation, hostility, and impulsivity.[7] In 2024, medical and legal experts discussed the "overwhelming evidence from clinical studies and from tragic events that antidepressants can cause homicide."[8]
Such studies and now the Tennessee law have strengthened the need for a non-biomedical approach to helping people with mental health issues and to urgently shift away from forcing such treatments on individuals or coercing them to take them by not fully informing them that violent or hostile effects could be sourced to the treatment, says Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, headquartered in Los Angeles.
CCHR hopes the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), being held in Los Angeles during Mental Health Awareness Month, will formally support the Tennessee law and adopt the international call for an end to coercive treatment in mental health. Matthews calls for the mental health industry to end stigmatizing patients, blaming their mental health diagnosis instead of the powerful mind-altering drugs prescribed to them.[9]
More on Boston Chron
The group wants safety protection laws similar to that passed in Tennessee, but with even broader testing and reporting systems accountable to the public.
Since 1989, CCHR, which was established 56 years ago by the Church of Scientology and author and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, has collected evidence and case reports of violent acts where a perpetrator was taking or withdrawing from psychotropics. In 2018, it published a fully documented report, Psychiatric Drugs: Create Violence & Suicide—School Shootings and Other Acts of Senseless Violence, with more than 30 studies that link prescription psychotropics to hostility, mania, aggression, self-harm, and suicide.
Sources:
[1] "ABLECHILD: Tennessee Sets National Precedent with Passage of AbleChild Bill Requiring Psychotropic Drug Testing in Mass Shooter Cases," ABLECHILD, 30 Apr. 2025, www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/ablechild-tennessee-sets-national-precedent-passage-ablechild-bill/
[2] Psychiatric Drugs Create Violence & Suicide, CCHR International, 2017, p. 12, www.cchrint.org/pdfs/violence-report.pdf
[3] Thomas J. Moore, et al., "Prescription Drugs Associated with Reports of Violence Towards Others," Public Library of Science ONE, Vol. 5, lss. 12, Dec. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002271/
[4] The Violence Project Database of Mass Shootings in the United States, 1966–2019, www.theviolenceproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TVP-Mass-Shooter-Database-Report-Final-compressed.pdf
[5] www.cchrint.org/2023/06/13/23-percent-mass-shooters-on-psychiatric-drugs/; Sharon Shahid and Megan Duzor, "VOA SPECIAL REPORT: HISTORY OF MASS SHOOTERS," VOA News, 1 June 2021, projects.voanews.com/mass-shootings/
[6] "Mass Shooter Database," The Violence Project, www.theviolenceproject.org/mass-shooter-database/; "Methodology," The Violence Project, www.theviolenceproject.org/methodology/
[7] www.cchrint.org/2024/10/11/cchr-wants-increased-consumer-awareness-about-prescriptions-for-violence/; "Detailed View: Safety Labeling Changes Approved By FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) – November 2005," FDA; AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION ASPEN DEXAMFETAMINE tablets, 26 Feb 2024, www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ebs/picmi/picmirepository.nsf/pdf?OpenAgent=&id=CP-2023-PI-02524-1&d=20250505172310101; Alex Alikiotis "The Link Between Antipsychotics And Aggressive Behavior: Understanding The Potential Causes Of Violence," MedShun 24 Dec. 2023
[8] www.cchrint.org/2024/10/11/cchr-wants-increased-consumer-awareness-about-prescriptions-for-violence/
[9] www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/ablechild-tennessee-sets-national-precedent-passage-ablechild-bill/
The new law mandates toxicology testing for psychotropic drugs in autopsies of certain deceased mass shooters. Sheila Matthews, Vice President of the parents' rights group, ABLECHILD, and Amy Miller, an advocate for pharmaceutical industry reform, helped draft the legislation, which also directs the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to study interactions between psychotropic drugs and other substances found in violent perpetrators.[1]
Some 77 million Americans take psychotropic drugs, including over 6 million children and youths. While acknowledging that this does not mean all consumers could become violent, CCHR says that Tennessee, recognizing the need for rigorous oversight and accountability, will benefit consumer informed consent rights and increase public safety.
Matthews commented on the nationwide—and global—effects it could create, calling it a "blueprint for dismantling the wall of secrecy" about the violent adverse effects of some psychotropics. "When someone commits mass murder," Matthews continued, "the public has a right to know if mind-altering drugs played a role."
The law requires the county medical examiner to test a deceased perpetrator for the presence of any drugs, including prescription psychotropics, and must disclose the drug use to the University of Tennessee's health science center and the Department of Health.
CCHR says the law is a vital first step but should be expanded. It currently applies only if the perpetrator is deceased and four or more people are killed, with no requirement for testing or disclosure if the perpetrator survives. CCHR is urging other states to adopt similar laws with broader testing and public reporting to strengthen transparency and accountability.
More on Boston Chron
- Boston: Updates on Transformative Investments in Mental Health Services and Programs for Youth and Families
- AI changes cryptocurrency market trading, TWL Miner launches new 1-day contract, giving away over $1 million
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre and Germfree Laboratories Announce Landmark Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Campus in Riyadh
- Labthink's Medford Lab is Open for Testing Services for Flexible Packaging Materials
- A Global First: NaturismRE™ Launches the Global Urgency Index
CCHR says the results of those tests could be filed with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Adverse Drug Reporting (ADR) system, which could flag the need for further investigations and studies. Already, the FDA has reports of at least 1,530 cases of homicide/homicidal ideation recorded as linked to psychiatric drugs.[2]
A 2010 study published in Public Library of Science ONE analyzed the FDA's ADRs and identified 25 prescription psychiatric drugs disproportionately associated with violence. These included antidepressants, sedative/hypnotics, and drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The cases of violence linked to these drugs ranged from homicide and physical assaults to homicidal ideation and violence-related symptoms.[3]
In November 2019, The Violence Project, funded by the U.S. Justice Department, released the largest, most comprehensive database of mass shooters in the United States.[4] A 2021 analysis of the database by Voice of America, the state-owned news network of the US, revealed that 23% of the mass shooters had been on psychiatric drugs.[5] This was likely greatly underreported, as researchers did not have access to all of the perpetrators' toxicology and medical records, only whatever information was publicly available.[6]
At least one antidepressant lists "homicidal ideation" as a side effect; a common stimulant may cause "suicidal or homicidal tendencies," according to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. A 2023 article warned that antipsychotics can sometimes cause violence, agitation, hostility, and impulsivity.[7] In 2024, medical and legal experts discussed the "overwhelming evidence from clinical studies and from tragic events that antidepressants can cause homicide."[8]
Such studies and now the Tennessee law have strengthened the need for a non-biomedical approach to helping people with mental health issues and to urgently shift away from forcing such treatments on individuals or coercing them to take them by not fully informing them that violent or hostile effects could be sourced to the treatment, says Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, headquartered in Los Angeles.
CCHR hopes the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), being held in Los Angeles during Mental Health Awareness Month, will formally support the Tennessee law and adopt the international call for an end to coercive treatment in mental health. Matthews calls for the mental health industry to end stigmatizing patients, blaming their mental health diagnosis instead of the powerful mind-altering drugs prescribed to them.[9]
More on Boston Chron
- 14th CryptoSuper500 Report Releases: Bitcoin's Evolution into a Global Supercomputer
- Ross Toohey named Managing Director in Chesterfield, Missouri
- High Profile Gateway Race Events With Strong Brand Exposure Plus Sponsorship in Female Motorsports; $100 Million Financing Unlocked: Lottery.com
- ASI Accelerates iMIS® Innovation by Acquiring CSI's Product Suite and Expert Team
- Mill Creek Hires Brent Elkins as Executive Managing Director
The group wants safety protection laws similar to that passed in Tennessee, but with even broader testing and reporting systems accountable to the public.
Since 1989, CCHR, which was established 56 years ago by the Church of Scientology and author and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, has collected evidence and case reports of violent acts where a perpetrator was taking or withdrawing from psychotropics. In 2018, it published a fully documented report, Psychiatric Drugs: Create Violence & Suicide—School Shootings and Other Acts of Senseless Violence, with more than 30 studies that link prescription psychotropics to hostility, mania, aggression, self-harm, and suicide.
Sources:
[1] "ABLECHILD: Tennessee Sets National Precedent with Passage of AbleChild Bill Requiring Psychotropic Drug Testing in Mass Shooter Cases," ABLECHILD, 30 Apr. 2025, www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/ablechild-tennessee-sets-national-precedent-passage-ablechild-bill/
[2] Psychiatric Drugs Create Violence & Suicide, CCHR International, 2017, p. 12, www.cchrint.org/pdfs/violence-report.pdf
[3] Thomas J. Moore, et al., "Prescription Drugs Associated with Reports of Violence Towards Others," Public Library of Science ONE, Vol. 5, lss. 12, Dec. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002271/
[4] The Violence Project Database of Mass Shootings in the United States, 1966–2019, www.theviolenceproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TVP-Mass-Shooter-Database-Report-Final-compressed.pdf
[5] www.cchrint.org/2023/06/13/23-percent-mass-shooters-on-psychiatric-drugs/; Sharon Shahid and Megan Duzor, "VOA SPECIAL REPORT: HISTORY OF MASS SHOOTERS," VOA News, 1 June 2021, projects.voanews.com/mass-shootings/
[6] "Mass Shooter Database," The Violence Project, www.theviolenceproject.org/mass-shooter-database/; "Methodology," The Violence Project, www.theviolenceproject.org/methodology/
[7] www.cchrint.org/2024/10/11/cchr-wants-increased-consumer-awareness-about-prescriptions-for-violence/; "Detailed View: Safety Labeling Changes Approved By FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) – November 2005," FDA; AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION ASPEN DEXAMFETAMINE tablets, 26 Feb 2024, www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ebs/picmi/picmirepository.nsf/pdf?OpenAgent=&id=CP-2023-PI-02524-1&d=20250505172310101; Alex Alikiotis "The Link Between Antipsychotics And Aggressive Behavior: Understanding The Potential Causes Of Violence," MedShun 24 Dec. 2023
[8] www.cchrint.org/2024/10/11/cchr-wants-increased-consumer-awareness-about-prescriptions-for-violence/
[9] www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/ablechild-tennessee-sets-national-precedent-passage-ablechild-bill/
Source: Citizens Commission on Human Rights International
Filed Under: Government
0 Comments
Latest on Boston Chron
- A Living Legacy – New Short Film Honors George Floyd, Premieres on YouTube
- Boston: June 13, 2025 Traffic Advisory
- Boston: Planning Department Advances New Cancer Hospital In Longwood Medical Area
- DivX Enhances AVI Playback Resources; Simplifies Guide to Playing AVI Files with DivX Software
- Patrick Aloni Joins Historic Gold and Copper Discovery in Argentina with Multimillion-Dollar Stake
- Boston: June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month
- Boston: Happy Juneteenth!
- Boston: Council Denounces Renaming of Navy Ships
- Northern Light Appoints Robert Trail President
- Boston: Council Backs Blue Ribbon Commission to Address Downtown Office Vacancies and Revenue Loss
- Edtech Startup Young Commanders Launches 'Visionaries Without Sight' Collection Celebrating Blind and Visually Impaired Historical Figures
- Boston: Cummins Highway Construction Update: June 2025
- Goldstar Rehabilitation Celebrates 15 Years of Early Intervention Across Southeastern PA
- South Shore Food Bank's Epic FOOD FIGHT Fundraiser Set for June 21st
- United States Congressional Candidate Peter Coe Verbica Unveils 25-Point Federal Plan to Help Make California Affordable Again
- D8Averse Launches D8Acapture: Disruptive Mobile-First App Transforms Utility Pole Data Collection
- 2025 Romance Travel Forum Drives Targeted Growth and Industry Collaboration
- Experience Trembling Firsthand with the New AgeMan® Tremor Simulator
- Mauro Schnaidman named as Managing Director in Miami, Florida
- Continued Streak of Recognitions with Multiple Chambers and Partners Rankings