Anti-malaria drug linked to suicide
UK: Inquest hears how traveller had “haunted look” after taking Lariam
An inquest has heard how a student killed herself after taking anti-malaria drugs – and the victim’s parents have been told they may have a case for compensation from the manufacturer of the medicine.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, 22-year-old Cambridge student Vanessa Blunt turned from a bright and vivacious woman to one with a “haunted look in her eyes” after she took the drug Lariam during a trip to the Far East.
She wrote to her family telling them that just two doses of the drug had made her ill “like never before”, the inquest heard, and was indentified as a suicide risk soon after returning home. She killed herself with a dose of painkillers last August – the sixth time a Lariam user is known to have killed themselves.
While the manufacturer of the drug says there is no link between Lariam and suicide, the Government’s Medicine Control Agency says the drug was “suspected” in all six cases. The MCA estimates that between one in 10,000 and one in 20,000 people experiences psychiatric side-effects to Lariam.
A spokesman for Roche told the Daily Mail: “Lariam remains one of the drugs of choice for the prevention and treatment of malaria by leading public health authorities, including the World Health Organisation.” The coroner at the inquest recorded a verdict of suicide.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt