Do stimulants pose the most risk for physical violence against others?

[cowardescent]

This is purely discussion and what brought it up was the LA shooter, Stephen Paddock at the start of this month. I've read online and heard from people who know others taking drugs (mostly paranoid propaganda but some scientific truth) that certain drugs cause people to act out against others, especially people with mental issues that aren't so debilitating (i.e. they can function 'normally').

I was imagining if Elliot Rodger the guy in his early 20s who went on a shooting rampage back in California 3 years ago would have probably gone 'off the rails' much earlier in his teen years if he ever got exposed to cocaine or meth. He definitely had some genuine psychosis that made him superficially functioning but still extremely unstable. I wonder would it have impacted him negatively or perhaps positively with fleeting moments of euphoria.

 

[shartito]

If we’re talking strictly people with pre-existing mental illness, I’m not sure.

For just a regular person, I think alcohol is the substance most likely to induce violence.

It’s all subjective though. Depends on the person, setting, amount of said substance consumed, etc...

 

[Pickledlemons]

This is purely discussion and what brought it up was the LA shooter, Stephen Paddock at the start of this month. I've read online and heard from people who know others taking drugs (mostly paranoid propaganda but some scientific truth) that certain drugs cause people to act out against others, especially people with mental issues that aren't so debilitating (i.e. they can function 'normally').

I was imagining if Elliot Rodger the guy in his early 20s who went on a shooting rampage back in California 3 years ago would have probably gone 'off the rails' much earlier in his teen years if he ever got exposed to cocaine or meth. He definitely had some genuine psychosis that made him superficially functioning but still extremely unstable. I wonder would it have impacted him negatively or perhaps positively with fleeting moments of euphoria.

Statistically alcohol is by far the most violence inducing drug.

Personally, stimulants make me very non-violent. My anxiety is high so I am skiddish and avoid confrontations like the plague.

EDIT: per user, pcp might be more violent. But thats just speculation.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Guys, please read forum guidelines. This really isn't a question that can be answered with any kind of certainty. It's my belief that while drugs can disinhibit an individual and make them act out in more exaggerated ways than if they were totally sober, drugs do not make people evil. They are generally evil long before drugs come into play. Let's take an example that's a lot less serious than going on a public shooting rampage:

You hear folks who become dependent upon drugs frequently blame all of their behavior on the drugs or their addiction.

"I stole all of my Grandma's Oxycodone because I'm an addict and can't help myself"

"I wouldn't have stolen my Mom's wedding ring if I weren't fucked up"

"I wouldn't have defrauded that charity if it weren't for that evil, sinister (inanimate) Heroin"

Closing argument? Drugs can make you more likely to do bad things, but not everyone who gets addicted to drugs hurts people, robs people and doesn't give a fuck about others around them. It's just easy for folks to blame their bad behavior on the drugs.