Chantix User Loses Cool, Unleashes Chantix Aggression on Own Home

July 19, 2010, 8:00AM. By Gordon Gibb

Forks Township, PAIt's been a little more than a year since a Pennsylvania man was derailed by Chantix. Charles Brinker of Forks Township, Pennsylvania was attempting to quit smoking using Chantix when he lost complete control and attempted to bring down his own home using a Bobcat loader. His wife was inside the house at the time.

A Bobcat loader is a miniature front-end loader often used for landscaping. While the units are small, they can capably lift and move large landscaping rocks weighing hundreds of pounds or more.

According to court records, Brinker became enraged last May 2 and drove the Bobcat onto the rear patio of the family home in Forks Township, ramming a bar that was key to the structural integrity of the home. Brinker's wife, Diane, was in the home at the time. Brinker reportedly threatened to tear the house down around her.

Brinker was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. He was convicted on the misdemeanor charge, fined $500, and sentenced to 18 months probation and 15 hours of community service. He and his wife have since reconciled.

Brinker blames losing his cool on Chantix.

"I was on Chantix to quit smoking," Brinker told Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden when he appeared before the judge in Northampton County Court, "and I believe that had a lot to do with it. I'm not a doctor, but I believe it had a lot to do with it."

Forks Township is located between the Bushkill Creek and the Delaware River north of the City of Easton, Pennsylvania.

Chantix prevents nicotine from reaching key receptors in the brain that are responsible for the pleasurable aspect of smoking. Depending on the individual, Chantix has been found to make the challenge of quitting either easier or much more difficult. It has been reported previously that those who participated in the original Chantix trials benefitted from ongoing counseling while attempting to quit smoking.