Trending...
- Cybersecurity is Protecting Your Personal Information and Your Portfolio
- New National Nonprofit Launches to Capture Firsthand Accounts of Adoption Stories
- The Paris Court of International Arbitration Elects Dr. John J. Maalouf as its New President
CCHR Praises New Precedent-Setting Law Linking Psychiatric Drug Use to Public Safety Risks
LOS ANGELES - illiNews -- 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 illi News
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 illi News
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 illi News
- RWA Infra Development L.L.C. announces the $RWAID token. "$RWAID tokenizing infrastructure for the masses."
- Be Prepared for the Qualitative and Quantitative Effects of Tariffs: How Businesses Can Navigate Potential Disruption in Finances and Production
- Bold Beauty Project UCLA Edition Photography Exhibition on May 18
- Genuine Hospitality, LLC Selected to Operate Claridge House Chicago Gold Coast
- Lamar Odom Issues Public Challenge to X Platform Over Censorship of His Anti-Addiction Crypto Campaign
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 illi News
- PBK Miner completes $80 million Series B financing to support AI cloud mining and increase user investment return by 25%
- Asset-Backed Green Crypto: Fueling the Trillion-Dollar Revolution
- Isaiah Grass Celebrates the Premiere of "The Isaiah Grass Show" on CAN TV
- Gino's East of Chicago in LA announces the Pope-roni Pizza
- Chicagoland Truck Shop Offers Truck Bed Covers
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
0 Comments
Latest on illi News
- ScreenPoints Puts Film Investors in the Credits—and in the Money With New FinTech Platform
- Beyond Finance Wins Gold Stevie® Award for Customer Service Department of the Year in 23rd Annual American Business Awards
- Pathways to Adulthood Conference May 17 at Melville Marriott Honoring NYS Assembly Member Jodi Giglio, Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa
- Adster Techologies awarded US Patent for breakthrough innovation in reducing latency in Ad Serving
- Mai Coffee Unveils First - Ever Vietnamese Coffee Pouches, Bringing "Viet Super Coffee" To The World
- Chris The Wiz Releases RAIN EP – A Cyberpunk Dreamscape in 4 Tracks
- Penetrium™ Breaks Oncology Barriers: The Solution to Cold Tumors and Metastatic Cancer Unveiled at AACR 2025
- Robert Fabbio Inducted into the Austin Technology Council Hall of Fame
- Mayor Brandon Johnson Appoints Francisco Velez as Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications
- Chicago City Council Passes Mayor Johnson's Landmark Green Social Housing Ordinance
- Cybersecurity is Protecting Your Personal Information and Your Portfolio
- Transfer Pricing Expert Andrew O'Brien-Penney Joins The Brattle Group as Principal
- Naperville Fire Department Invites Community Members to Fire Prevention Presentation on May 22
- L2 Aviation Celebrates Grand Opening of New Facility at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- Managing Summer Staffing Surges with Confidence: Why Name Badges Are a Must for Seasonal Success
- DR Instruments Inc Expands Lab Apparel Line with New 100% Cotton Lab Coats for Adults and Youth
- Visa Named Title Sponsor of Ascending Athletes' Business Owners Summits for NFL Entrepreneurs
- The Paris Court of International Arbitration Elects Dr. John J. Maalouf as its New President
- Powerhouse Dynamics to Showcase Groundbreaking OilSmart by Open Kitchen® Solution at National Restaurant Association Show
- $56.7 Million Announced in Q1 2025 with Revenue Growth and Progress Toward NASDAQ Uplisting for AI Marketing Company: IQSTEL, Inc. Stock Symbol: IQSTD