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Report: Fort Bragg killings, malaria drug not linked
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military investigators have found no evidence that the anti-malarial drug Lariam was a contributing factor in the killings of four Army wives, allegedly by their husbands, U.S. Defense Department sources Wednesday told CNN. The Army plans to release next week results of an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the women, whose husbands were based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In three of the deaths, the men accused had recently returned from Afghanistan. Questions had been raised about whether side effects of Lariam, which has been administered to the military for duty in Afghanistan, had contributed to violent behavior. The drug is known chemically as mefloquine hydrochloride. Roche Laboratories, the drug's manufacturer, acknowledges the substance may cause mental disturbances ranging from anxiety to psychotic behavior. A Web site medical brochure warns against the use of the drug by patients "with a recent history of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia or other major psychiatric disorders." Investigators found no basis to think that the drug was a factor in the slayings, and they noted all of the men were in troubled marriages. Sources familiar with the report said it acknowledges the long-standing problem in the military of a reluctance among troubled service members to seek mental health counseling for fear it will harm their chances for promotion. Army investigators also looked at counseling and family assistance programs to see if they are adequate. The Army said it plans to announce actions aimed at helping soldiers with stress problems.
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