MARION HEIGHTS - Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Brian Hollenbush said Tuesday that he believed the victim when she said that Stanley Rusesky's behavior Monday night stemmed from use of Chantix, a smoking cessation drug.
"She said he's a normal guy otherwise," Hollenbush said.
Rusesky had been using Chantix for three weeks before Monday's incident occurred, Hollenbush said.
Chantix currently has a black box label warning its users against "changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions."
Black box labels are the strongest warning mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The label was first issued to Chantix and similar medications, Zyban and its generic forms, in 2009 after numerous users "reported experiencing unusual behavior changes, have become depressed or have had their depression worsen, or have had thoughts about suicide or dying," according to a press release issued by the FDA at the time.
The labelling came after a series of high-profile cases involving Chantix users.
In September, 2007, Carter Albrecht, keyboard player for Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, was shot and killed by a neighbor after he struck his girlfriend and attempted to break into the neighbor's home. A Nov. 20, 2007, story published in the New York Times said that while Albrecht's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, family believed Chantix caused his rage.
Recently, Pfizer, the drug company behind Chantix, asked the FDA to consider removing the black box label after conducting observational studies that it said showed the drug did not lead to dangerous neuropsychiatric events. But on Oct. 16, an FDA panel voted to continue requiring the black box - at least until further studies are complete.
Hollenbush said his only other run-in with Chantix occurred just a few days ago
"We had someone else that was having suicidal thoughts about two weeks ago," said Hollenbush. "He ended up getting involuntarily committed to Geisinger."