Reading Progress:

Is the Problem Guns or FDA-Approved Prescription Drugs?

by Jun 19, 2015Articles, Economic Freedom, Health Freedom10 comments

The media always focuses on the ostensible need for stricter gun regulations while completely overlooking the psychotropic drug connection in mass shootings.

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Every time one of these shootings happens, the debate becomes about gun regulation. But my first thought is always, “I wonder what psychotropic drug he was on.”

So I Googled Dylann Roof to find out. From the Daily Beast, according to a classmate, “He was like a pill popper, from what I understood. Like Xanax, and stuff like that.”

Assuming this is not mere hearsay…. Xanax is a brand name for alprazolam, which belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepine, which are “able to induce aggressive behaviour.”

Reported adverse events include “(1) anger or violence, (2) impulsive, suicidal, or self-harming behavior, (3) depression, (4) mania, (5) schizophrenia….”

This class of drugs has been “associated with violence and other antisocial behavior”.

In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, there was “a significant increase in dyscontrol in patients with borderline personality disorder who were taking alprazolam”.

But all the media wants to talk about is guns.

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  • Kanga Blue says:

    Of course it’s hearsay. Of course it still make be true. Also of course your insane gun culture in the USA is a factor. Look at how we handle guns in Australia. watch Michael Moore as well. Seriously WTF do you need guns … for protection? HAHA you are going to sit at home with your gun on your lap all day and night?

      • Tell that to the surviving family members in Lafayette and Chattanooga.

      • If you wish to produce an opposing argument, you are welcome to do so. You are on notice for trolling (having already been banned for that at Foreign Policy Journal).

      • How is that NOT an opposing argument to your tired 2nd amendment argument? We have an insane gun culture in this country right now, the result of which is that shootings like those that have occurred in the past weeks have become commonplace. Falling back on the claim that our 2nd Amendment are being threatened is ludicrous. How many more times do we need to hear of these shootings? How many more times will the gun nuts in the NRA coincidentally show up in towns that suffer through these tragedies to hold their gun rallies? How many more innocent people must die before you understand that? Comparison of gun violence in this country to other developed countries shows an overwhelming crisis in the U.S.!
        Ans enough of your threats. You are supposed to be moderating the discussion, not controlling it. This is a clear opposing argument to the gun advocates by offering an EXTREMELY relevant example. It does NOT need to agree with yours in order to conform to TOU!

      • How is that NOT an opposing argument to your tired 2nd amendment argument?

        You seem not to understand what an argument is.

        We have an insane gun culture in this country right now, the result of which is that shootings…

        Your begging the question.

        Falling back on the claim that our 2nd Amendment are being threatened is ludicrous.

        Again, the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution exists for very good reason:

        https://www.jeremyrhammond.com/2012/12/29/washington-post-lies-that-it-is-a-myth-that-the-2nd-amendment-was-to-protect-americans-from-government/

        Comparison of gun violence in this country to other developed countries shows an overwhelming crisis in the U.S.!

        Indeed. So why is it that other countries with high rates of gun ownership don’t see the same problem? There is no correlation between gun ownership rates and gun violence. Other factors are at work.

        Why is it you aren’t interested in looking at the role of psychotropic drugs?

      • What is your vendetta against pharmaceutical companies? How far are you willing to contort and stretch an argument to blame BIGSCARYGREEDYCORRUP Pharma? This country has a gun problem. Period. Only a moron would be able to defend the gun culture in this country in the face of continuous gun violence, rampages, random killings, etc. if there is a problem with the overperscription or misuse of certain medications, then that is a separate argument. To try to blame pharmaceuticals for the gun problem in this country is beyond naive, extremely myopic, and misses the true problem: the easy availability of guns by anybody in this country.

        But as always, you will twist and manipulate statistics, and attempt to build a strawman against pharma companies for pretty much anything. You’re like a tea bagger who blames Obama if their picnic gets rained out. So, Jeremy, what exactly is your issue with pharmaceutical companies? Why do you selectively go after them? Certainly, many are typical greedy corrupt corporations, but they aren’t the only ones. Plus, they do happen to save a lot of lives. So why not get to the real root of the issue here and explore what your personal anti-pharma gripe is all about. Who knows, we may even have some common ground.

      • You are welcome to produce an actual argument.

      • And you are welcome to respond to my previous post.

  • craig_oz_land says:

    From my previous amateur research years ago on the affects of benzodiazepines is they interfere with normal REM, deep sleep cycles and so interfere with the brains natural requirement of rest and regeneration. The person becomes sleep deprived and ends up delusional as dreaming imposes itself on wakefulness as well as the brain not functioning normally.

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