Carter Albrecht, keyboardist for the pop group Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, began taking the smoking cessation aid Chantix in the summer of 2007 along with his girlfriend, Ryann Rathbone. After only a few days on the product, he became violent towards her – something that had never occurred before in their relationship. Rathbone eventually locked the violent Albrecht out of her house, when a neighbor saw him screaming and ranting on her back porch. Frightened, the neighbor fired a gun at Albrecht – intending for it to be a warning shot – but Albrecht was shot in the head and died.
Albrecht is not the only victim of the side effect of increased aggression associated with Chantix. Although it is one of the most effective smoking-cessation aids on the market today, it is also one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. A study by the scientific journal PloS ONE showed that varenicline, the active ingredient in Chantix, is more than twice as likely to be involved in a violent event than any other drug on the market – a startling statistic considering that over three million Americans have been prescribed the drug, and exact numbers are not known regarding the number who have experienced these aggressive Chantix side effects.
This side effect is unique because it does not only directly affect the person who is taking the medication but also the people around them. Chantix users have been known to show increased aggression towards strangers and loved ones alike, leading many users and family members of those affected by Chantix aggression to come forward with lawsuits in order to claim compensation for their struggles. Luckily, for 90 percent of Chantix users who experience aggressive behavior, the behavior stops when the drug is no longer being taken. However, as in the case of Carter Albrecht, it may be too late.
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