Despite 22 international drug regulatory agency warnings on psychiatric drugs causing violent side effects including aggression, mania, violence, psychosis, suicidal and homicidal ideation and 14 recent school shootings committed by those under the influence of, or withdrawal from, psychiatric drugs, there has yet to be a federal investigation into psychiatric drugs causing violence.
While there is much speculation about what is behind the spate of school shootings, all too often one common denominator has surfaced—prescribed psychiatric drugs.
Lawmakers must require an investigation into the role of psychiatric drugs and violence in relation to school shootings and similar acts of violence, given that the supporting data, already exists and, to date, has been ignored by the federal government and the U.S. federal agencies over mental health.
Please Read and Sign the Attached Petition
Dear Congressmen,
We are requesting the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform launch an investigation into the link between psychiatric drugs, school shootings and similar acts of senseless violence. Despite international drug regulatory agency warnings on psychiatric drugs causing violent side effects, and dozens of high profile shootings/killings tied to psychiatric drug use and/or withdrawal, there has yet to be a federal investigation into this issue.
While there is much speculation about what is behind the spate of school shootings and similar acts of senseless violence, all too often one common denominator has surfaced—prescribed psychiatric drugs which are documented to cause violence. These are the facts:
22 drug regulatory warnings have been issued on psychiatric drugs causing hostility, aggression, homicidal ideation, mania/psychosis and harm to others.
At least fourteen school shootings were committed by individuals taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 109 wounded and 58 killed. In other school shootings, information about their drug use was never made public—neither confirming or refuting if they were under the influence of prescribed drugs.
Between 2004 and 2011, there have been 12,755 reports to the U.S. FDA’s MedWatch system of psychiatric drugs causing violent side effects including: 1,231 cases of homicidal ideation/homicide, 2,795 cases of mania & 7,250 cases of aggression. (Only 1-10% of side effects are ever reported to the FDA, so the actual number of side effects occurring are much higher.)
The New York State Senate recognized the violence inducing side effects of psychiatric drugs as far back as 2000, citing “a large body of scientific research establishing a connection between violence and suicide and the use of psychotropic drugs.”
We are calling on lawmakers to address the role of psychiatric drug use and withdrawal as it relates to school shootings and other acts of violence, given that the supporting data, cited above, on psychiatric drugs and violence already exists and, to date, has been ignored by mental health agencies and the federal government.
