Spot the odd one out: Cymbalta, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro.These are all commonly prescribed anti-depressants, but the odd one out is Prozac, as it's the only one listed here whose patient insert includes the information that the sexual dysfunction caused by the drug can persist even after treatment has ceased.Now the FDA is being <a href="https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/Doc.-1-Complaint-5.20.2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sued</a> for its failure to warn the public of this devastating adverse effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="681" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I3IGTri6Dqg" title="What is Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction?" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;Six years and how many thousands of ruined lives?“Now” is misleading, however, because the FDA was first petitioned on this issue (and asked to encourage doctors to issue warnings to their patients) <a href="https://rxisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/JRS745-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">back in 2018</a>. Six years later and nothing has happened.Prozac's <a href="https://pi.lilly.com/us/prozac.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">patient insert</a> only includes the warning, cautiously phrased, because its manufacturer, Eli Lilly, actually <a href="https://blog.maryannedemasi.com/p/fda-sued-for-not-acting-on-petition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">asked</a> the FDA to add a few words, back in 2011.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/aflds/image/upload/v1718345938/prozac_insert_f243dd0837.png"></figure>The FDA complied, but for some reason omitted to draw the logical conclusion that all drugs in the SSRI or SNRI class should have a similar warning attached, even though the dangers of these drugs have been known for decades (as a recent <a href="https://frontline.news/post/my-feelings-are-gone-maybe-forever-what-your-doctor-didn-t-tell-you-about-anti-depressants" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frontline News</a> article describes) and an estimated one in ten Americans over the age of 12 are taking them.&nbsp;Why is the United States lagging behind the rest of the world?Dr. David Healy and 21 other professionals submitted their original petition not only to the FDA, but also to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EMA responded in 2019 with a “New product information wording” which stipulated the language to be used in patient inserts, warning potential users of SSRI and SNRI drugs of “long-lasting sexual dysfunction where the symptoms have continued despite discontinuation” of the drugs.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/aflds/image/upload/v1718346034/european_ssri_warning_8252b8b7d8.png"></figure>In 2021, <a href="https://dhpp.hpfb-dgpsa.ca/review-documents/resource/SSR00254" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Canada</a> followed suit, declaring that it would henceforth “work with manufacturers to update the product safety information” and that it was urging healthcare workers to “inform patients about the potential risk of long-lasting (possibly weeks to years) sexual symptoms persisting after stopping SSRI or SNRI treatment.”Earlier this year, the <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-updates/updated-warnings-about-persistent-sexual-dysfunction-antidepressants#resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australian health authorities</a> also decided to require the amendment of patient inserts, “to reflect the risk of sexual dysfunction persisting in some patients after drug cessation.”The FDA, however, has declined not only to take action but also to answer the petition, even though U.S. law requires it to respond within 180 days of receiving a petition. Patients who submitted case reports to the FDA have not been contacted by the agency.&nbsp;FDA blocking informed consentNow the Public Citizen organization has filed a lawsuit against the FDA, on behalf of Dr. Antonei Csoka, a researcher into PSSD (post-SSRI sexual dysfunction) and a scientific advisor for PSSD Network. The suit alleges that the FDA has behaved unlawfully in failing to act on the petition, and it asks the court to order the FDA to issue a decision.“The FDA needs to act in a timely way to inform the public about the risks associated with use of these drugs,” said Michael Kirkpatrick, an attorney with Public Citizen and lead counsel. “The FDA’s failure to act exposes consumers to potentially life-long harm.”Josef Witt-Doerring, a psychiatrist and former FDA medical reviewer, says he has spoken to dozens of patients with the condition who describe it as “torture.”<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="681" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fyZhXeNxVRI" title="What is PSSD and Why is No One Talking About it?" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>“It’s not just the sexual dysfunction that persists for years after stopping the drug, they also feel totally dissociated from life, almost as if they’re watching their life play out on a screen. They can’t feel anything,” explained Witt-Doerring.<blockquote>Even though the risk of PSSD may be rare, the condition is severe enough to sway someone’s decision to take the drug. They might have mild depression and decide they’ll do talk therapy instead of taking the small risk of permanent sexual dysfunction. It’s important for people to have informed consent.</blockquote>&nbsp;Not just anti-depressantsAccording to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUVq21ar0MI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Healy</a>, the widely prescribed drugs Accutane (which treats acne) and finasteride (taken to treat hair loss) can also cause PSSD. He stresses that the numbing effects (both physical and emotional) of the drugs can be felt as soon as 30 minutes after taking them, although many people will fail to recognize the symptoms. He also notes that PSSD can become worse after the drug is stopped, and that in some cases, an “opposite” condition can result where the person experiences persistent heightened feelings.In 2021, Public Citizen sued the FDA for ignoring a petition (filed four years previously) calling for finasteride's withdrawal, after it was linked to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. It took the FDA another nine months to respond, at which time it declined to withdraw finasteride (plus its generic forms) and instead required patient inserts to warn patients that there had been reports of “suicidal behavior” in people using the drug.&nbsp;Brain DeathPSSD researchers frequently stress that the cognitive and particularly the emotional effects are described by sufferers as more debilitating than the physical effects. Dr. Healy's theory is that the underlying cause for all the various adverse events is a “loss of reactivity.”<blockquote>This is why [SSRIs] are good with OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder]. People aren't as reactive to [triggers] … they're not as bothered…But it's the emotional numbness that people talk about, where their sensations aren't lighting the brain up as they should. There seems to be less imput to the brain; it's like the brain is dead, not processing things the way it should do.</blockquote>Dr. Witt-Doerring concurs, adding that,<blockquote>The people I talk to tell me things like, "I'll hug my mom or my dad or my child and I won't feel those same feelings that I used to feel. I'll listen to my favorite album from childhood that usually brings back nostalgia and memories and joy and it's just blunted.</blockquote>&nbsp;Doctors don't know?The original petition to the FDA demands not only that manufacturers alter the wording of patient inserts but also that they alert healthcare providers, via “Dear Doctor” letters, to the fact that the drugs they prescribe “pose a significant public health concern.”&nbsp;Commenting on the latest lawsuit, Maryanne Demasi, PhD said,<blockquote>This should force the FDA to rule on whether it believes there is evidence that SSRIs can, in some cases, cause PSSD and update the label; it's important for sufferers that the condition is acknowledged, but may also be important for establishing whether people receive informed consent - and may even have legal consequences.</blockquote>Multiple patient accounts report how their doctors knew nothing about PSSD. Even when doctors do have some knowledge of the symptoms, they can be dismissive of the suffering they cause, seeing them as minor tradeoffs for the greater benefit of depression relief. Others assume that loss of feeling is a result of the “underlying depression,” and that the answer could be a higher dose of the drug.The answer provided by many sufferers has been to end it all, as Dr. Healy describes:<blockquote>Many people who are left with PSSD conclude that if they're going to feel this way for the rest of their lives, what's the point in living?</blockquote>&nbsp;Where is justice?According to <a href="https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/ssri-malpractice-opinion.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lawsuit Information Center</a>, Dr. Healy has been the “single most powerful voice” behind SSRI-based lawsuits over the past few decades.<blockquote>He … was willing to take on the pharmaceutical industry 20 years ago … [which] led to the FDA conducting a review of clinical trial data and issuing a black box warning for all antidepressants, including SSRIs, for the risk of suicide … the strictest warning the FDA can require for prescription drugs…</blockquote><blockquote>This effectively ended litigation [against the SSRI manufacturers] because this was the warning Dr. Healy was saying was needed. But there are still SSRI malpractice lawsuits for failing to see the signs of SSRI-induced suicide.</blockquote>Although thousands, and potentially millions, of people have been harmed, often irreversibly, by these drugs, legal experts are pessimistic regarding the chances of victims obtaining compensation, or justice.<blockquote>Could this lead to a potential SSRI sexual dysfunction class action lawsuit? Probably not.&nbsp; But this is something to keep an eye on.</blockquote>

depressed.jpg

Psychiatric Drug

Too many people — and their doctors — have no idea that SSRIs can rob them of their feelings, sometimes permanently

FDA sued for failing to warn that sexual dysfunction caused by anti-depressants can persist even after withdrawal

A British vigilante group known as the “Blade Runners” is receiving widespread support from British taxpayers as it continues to destroy climate surveillance cameras across London.<h2>The ULEZ mandate</h2>By order of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the city is peppered with ultra-low emission zones (ULEZs), areas accessible only to low-emission vehicles. Cars that do not meet the city’s environmental standards are charged £12.50 ($16) for entering the ULEZ. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras positioned around the zones read license plates and check them against the vehicles’ make and model in real time. If a vehicle does not meet the environmental threshold, a fine is levied against the car owner.&nbsp;The ULEZ climate mandate has drawn heavy&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-hundreds-protest-against-climate-mandates">protests</a> from residents, including&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/british-veteran-launches-hunger-strike-as-unrest-grows-over-climate-mandates">hunger strikes</a> and refusals to pay fines. Taxpayers have also taken to disabling the ANPR surveillance cameras which Transport for London (TfL), the city’s transportation department, said will be used both for climate and law enforcement.<h2>Taxpayers cheer the ‘Blade Runners’</h2>Since the climate restrictions were expanded last year, the Blade Runners have taken to disabling and destroying hundreds of cameras. Between April and September 2023, Metropolitan Police recorded 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 reports of cameras being vandalized.TfL began placing black boxes around ULEZ camera wirings to protect them from being cut, but taxpayers found other ways to disable the cameras — like removing them completely.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"> MUST SEE: Blade Runners topple THREE ULEZ cameras in a coordinated strike… The people are fighting back! <a href="https://t.co/Yvr2Xr7Lun">pic.twitter.com/Yvr2Xr7Lun</a>— David Morgan #StayFree (@david_r_morgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/david_r_morgan/status/1802726912050995623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In response, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-taxpayers-attack-surveillance-vans-in-continued-revolt">deployed</a> mobile surveillance vans mounted with ANPR cameras across London in the hopes of evading attacks, but Blade Runners soon began targeting those as well. Some surveillance vans have been spotted covered in graffiti with their tires slashed, while others have been completely covered in tarp.Last month, 21 cameras were destroyed in the hours after Sadiq Khan was re-elected mayor of London, the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13538797/Moment-Blade-Runner-uses-power-tool-cut-ULEZ-camera-traffic-light-latest-attack-Sadiq-Khans-hated-scheme.html">reported</a>. Last weekend, Blade Runners used power tools to topple a ULEZ camera and traffic lights to the delight of some fellow taxpayers. In a video that was posted to social media, passing cars can be heard honking in support.The video received over 37,000 likes. Comments on the post were largely supportive, with users writing that, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty,” and “Fair play to them, it's a complete scam that does nothing.”Blade Runner Matt Hardy told the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;that the Blade Runners are “people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it – real votes, real boys here.”<h2>‘These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control’</h2>British actor and influencer Laurence Fox said this week he was just given back his electronic devices by police after being arrested earlier this year for cheering on the Blade Runners:<blockquote>These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control. They are the primary infrastructure for all sorts of things that ideologues like the midget dictator [Sadiq Khan] would like to impose upon us.I can now finally say the word ‘Bladerunners’ again. One of the ridiculous restrictions on free speech imposed by the police.It’s a dreadful shame to see so many of these cameras dying suddenly. I’m not at all thrilled about it. Just because I am smiling like a Cheshire Cat, it doesn’t mean that I am over the moon that these scameras continue to topple in high winds.&nbsp;Vive la résistance!</blockquote><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">POLICE UPDATE Following 6 coppers bursting into my house earlier this year to arrest me for saying how pleased I was that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULEZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ULEZ</a> scam was meeting such robust resistance, this morning the <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> were ordered by the magistrate to hand back all my devices, including my…— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/LozzaFox/status/1803030521095622912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> &nbsp;

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Pushback_Resistance

Climate Change

‘Pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us’

British taxpayers cheer vigilante group destroying climate cams

Fisker is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the electric vehicle (EV) company announced Tuesday.<h2>‘Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry’</h2>“Fisker has made incredible progress since our founding, bringing the Ocean SUV to market twice as fast as expected in the auto industry and making good on our promises to deliver the most sustainable vehicle in the world,” a spokesperson <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/cghen8gr8e1n/6W19OiEBJDVIFVEmo4feHA/df902c5cb2b067251a300efb0b35f611/Fisker-Filing-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.The California-based company added it is not the only EV maker that has been struggling to stay in business.“We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers’ hands in both North American [sic] and Europe. But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently. After evaluating all options for our business, we determined that proceeding with a sale of our assets under Chapter 11 is the most viable path forward for the company.”Fisker’s collapse is the latest indication that the EV industry is folding due to sinking demand. Other EV industry players are also cutting their losses as they jump ship.<h2>Hertz</h2>In March, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motorfinanceonline.com/news/hertz-ceo-resigns-amid-ev-investment-setback/#:~:text=Scherr's%20departure%20coincides%20with%20Hertz's,electric%20vehicle%20(EV)%20rentals">resigned</a> after his bet on EVs cost the car rental giant its biggest quarterly loss since 2020. Hertz had been praised by the Biden administration for its ambition to convert 25% of its fleet to EVs by the end of this year. In January, however, the company announced it would instead be selling its 20,000 EVs — including Teslas — at heavily discounted prices and replacing them with gas-powered cars.<h2>Mercedes-Benz</h2>Mercedes-Benz also recently had to give up its ambition to only sell electric cars by 2030. Instead, EVs are expected to make up only 50% of the German carmaker’s sales over the next decade.<h2>Apple</h2>In February, Apple abandoned its multi-billion dollar effort to create an electric car. Despite being a decade in the works and employing 2,000 people, Project Titan was axed due to falling consumer demand.<h2>Aston Martin</h2>A lack of consumer demand is also partly to blame for Aston Martin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13138123/Aston-Martin-puts-brakes-new-electric-supercar-2026-bosses-say-drivers-want-engines-throaty-roar.html">placing</a> its battery-operated “supercar” on hold until 2026.“Demand, certainly at an Aston Martin price point, is not what we thought it was going to be two years ago,” said Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.&nbsp;<h2>Ford</h2>In December, Ford slashed production of its flagship EV at its assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan by half. The automaker cut the monthly production quote for the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck from 3,200 units to 1,600 units per month.<h2>Biden administration continues to force EV production</h2>Nevertheless, the Biden administration in March issued new climate mandates aimed at forcing more EV production. The new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contain tight emissions standards that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20a">require</a> 56% of new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2032, with an additional 13% required to be hybrids.

car market decline.jpg

US News

Biden administration continues to force EV production

Electric car company files bankruptcy as EV market folds

For the last two years, British authorities have been testing AI-powered emotion recognition cameras on travelers in train stations, according to recently disclosed documents.<h2>What can the cameras see?</h2>In each of eight train stations around the UK, five to seven cameras or sensors scan the passing crowds. Using AI software from Amazon, the cameras use object recognition algorithms to spot criminal activity, trespassing, weapons, wet floors, overcrowding, and overstuffed trash cans.&nbsp;They can also alert authorities when passengers engage in “unusual behavior,” such as shouting, running, smoking, or skateboarding.&nbsp;A combination of existing cameras and newly installed smart cameras are being used for the surveillance project. All are equipped with Amazon’s Rekognition surveillance system.<h2>Emotional recognition</h2>Through a combination of facial and behavioral analyses, the Rekognition software allows officials to also <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analyze visitors’ emotions</a>. Internal documents note that the cameras can detect whether a passenger is “happy, sad [or] angry.” They can also recognize passenger satisfaction, which “could be utilized to maximum advertising and retail revenue.”<h2>Anti-social behavior</h2>Authorities can also detect passengers who exhibit “anti-social behaviour,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/what-is-antisocial-behaviour/">according</a> to London’s Metropolitan Police Service means “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.”<h2>Social distancing, face masks, and demographics</h2>Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24757655-usecases_dpas_review_managed_stations?responsive=1&amp;title=1">use cases</a> for the surveillance cameras include detecting whether passengers are keeping to social distancing rules and wearing face masks. The cameras can also scan for demographics by identifying people’s age profiles and “socio-economic classification,” which the documents note can create “revenue opportunities for better targeted advertising and product placement.”<h2>‘Quite a concerning step’</h2>The documents were obtained by Big Brother Watch, a civil rights and government watchdog group, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Network Rail, a body within the Department of Transportation which manages most of the country’s train network, has been overseeing the surveillance project.&nbsp;“The rollout and normalization of AI surveillance in these public spaces, without much consultation and conversation, is quite a concerning step,” Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/">told</a> Wired.As of now, the surveillance systems do not use facial recognition technology, which analyzes faces and matches them against facial images stored in certain databases.

crowd surveillance.jpg

surveillance

World News

Cameras can also detect 'anti-social behavior,' social distancing

UK tests emotion recognition cameras in train stations

The European Union (EU) is considering subjecting foreign travelers to lie detector tests administered by AI technology.&nbsp;<h2>How would it work?</h2>Authorities at airports and ferry ports would use cameras equipped with machine-learning software to detect whether a person is being untruthful. As travelers fill out their entry applications, their eye, facial, and behavioral movements would be analyzed. If the camera indicates the traveler is lying, the software will send an alert to an immigration officer who will investigate.The technology has already been successfully tested in trials conducted by EU countries in the last few years. iBorderCtrl and TRESPASS, two such trials, explored how to create an automated border control system. Several features were tested, including the lie detector tests described above. They also piloted a feature in which AI software scans the social media accounts of travelers before granting them entry.Critics of the lie-detection scheme include Patrick Breyer, a German MEP. Breyer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13534215/Outrage-British-tourists-going-away-EU-countries-face-lie-detector-test-carried-artificial-intelligence-granted-entry.html">told</a> The Mail on Sunday that the technology is “pseudoscience” that threatens to profile the wrong people.&nbsp;“It will discriminate against anyone who is disabled or who has an anxious personality. It will not work,” said Breyer.<h2>Part of the Entry-Exit System</h2>If the EU decides to implement AI-powered lie detection, it will likely be introduced as part of the new Entry-Exit System (EES) due to take effect on October 6th. EES will replace the passport-stamping process by having foreign travelers apply for entry through self-service kiosks. These kiosks will collect the travelers’ biometric data, including their fingerprints and facial images.These data will eventually be stored in the Common Identity Repository (CIR), a massive database being built by the EU. The CIR will be capable of storing biometric files on 300 million individuals.&nbsp;<h2>EES for outsiders, digital ID for insiders</h2>While the EU prepares to roll out the EES for foreigners, including British citizens, it is also rolling out a digital ID program for EU citizens .Regulations that took effect last month&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/europe-launches-digital-id-scheme/">require</a> EU&nbsp;Member States in the European Union to provide a digital ID wallet to their citizens by 2026 which must conform to the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet specifications. These specifications include the ability to store a taxpayer’s identity papers, such as driver’s licenses, health insurance cards, diplomas and other official documents.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>How will the wallet be used?</h2>The digital wallet will allow access to both public and private services. Uses include making payments, opening a bank account, getting prescriptions, signing contracts, traveling, accessing government services, receiving social security benefits, logging into social media accounts, and more.&nbsp;“It can also be used to facilitate the freedom of movement by storing documents such as the European Health Insurance Card,” explains the European Commission (EC) on its&nbsp;<a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eudi-wallet-implementation">website</a>.Under the current rules, the EUDI wallet will be optional for taxpayers.&nbsp;<h2>Critics raise concerns about the wallet</h2>The EUDI wallet’s main selling point is that users will be able to share only the details necessary to authenticate themselves for a given service. All other personal information will remain hidden. The EC expects this feature to satisfy widespread privacy concerns.But concerns about the wallet remain. The main worry is that while users only share those details that are necessary, the government can decide at any point which information is “necessary” to share. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the European Commission made proof of vaccination necessary to access services and establishments. Prior to that, each taxpayer’s health information was considered confidential.

face scanning.jpg

Technology could be introduced with new biometric entry system

Europe may subject travelers to lie detector tests

FDA sued for failing to warn that sexual dysfunction caused by anti-depressants can persist even after withdrawal

Too many people — and their doctors — have no idea that SSRIs can rob them of their feelings, sometimes permanently

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