Drugs like Ozempic might reduce violent crime risk by dampening impulsivity

Medications widely prescribed for weight loss and diabetes might have unexpected side effects that extend into human behavior, including a potential reduction in the risk of violent crime. A recent analysis indicates that these drugs weaken the usual link between impulsive tendencies and aggressive actions. The research was published in the journal Criminology.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are a class of medications that include popular brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy. These drugs mimic a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. They are highly effective for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity. In recent years, millions of adults in the United States have started taking them to manage their metabolic health.

Recently, medical professionals have noticed that these medications seem to affect more than just digestion and weight. People taking them often report a decrease in cravings for alcohol, nicotine, and even behavioral rewards like gambling. Researchers suspect the drugs influence the brain’s dopamine system.

Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain associated with feeling pleasure and reward. When a drug alters how the brain processes dopamine, it can change how a person responds to cravings and impulses. This phenomenon is sometimes described as quieting “food noise,” which refers to constant background thoughts about eating.

The medications might also interact with the body’s primary stress response network. By helping to regulate stress hormones and lower inflammation in the nervous system, the drugs could improve general mood and behavioral control. These physiological shifts prompted researchers to wonder how far the behavioral benefits might extend.

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Daniel Semenza, the lead author of the study and the director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at the Rutgers School of Public Health, wanted to see if this quieting effect could influence other high-risk behaviors. Because impulsivity and alcohol use are established risk factors for violent crime, Semenza and his colleague Christopher Thomas explored whether the medications might alter the likelihood of aggressive behavior.

Impulsive individuals are more likely to act without restraint in emotionally charged or threatening situations. Alcohol intoxication further increases this risk by impairing judgment, heightening emotional reactivity, and lowering inhibitions. The researchers hypothesized that the medications might quiet the cognitive chatter associated with impulsivity in the same way they hush thoughts about food.

To investigate this question, the researchers analyzed data from a large, nationally representative survey of adults in the United States. The data were collected in the summer of 2025 using a probability-based sampling method to ensure the results reflected the actual demographic makeup of the country. Out of more than 7,500 participants, the researchers isolated a group of 821 individuals who had taken one of these medications at some point in their lives.

They divided this group into 597 current users and 224 former users. By comparing current users to former users, the researchers aimed to account for underlying health conditions, such as obesity or diabetes. These specific health issues prompt people to seek out these medications in the first place, making former users the most accurate comparison group.

Participants answered a series of questions designed to measure their current levels of impulsivity and alcohol consumption. The impulsivity questions asked respondents to rate whether they enjoyed high-speed chases, acted on immediate needs, or jumped into things without thinking. The alcohol survey asked how frequently they drank and how often they consumed six or more drinks in one sitting.

The survey also included a validated questionnaire asking if participants had engaged in specific violent behaviors over the past year. These actions included hitting someone after an insult, getting into a physical fight, or robbing someone. A separate section asked about nonviolent offenses, such as stealing from a store or damaging property.

The researchers used statistical techniques to balance the two groups of users. They adjusted the data so that the current and former users were nearly identical in terms of age, income, education level, race, and perceived neighborhood safety. This balancing act allowed them to isolate the specific effects of the medications on behavior.

High impulsivity and heavy alcohol use usually predict a higher likelihood of aggressive behavior. The researchers found exactly this pattern among the former users of the medication. For people who had stopped taking the drugs, higher scores on impulsivity and alcohol tests corresponded directly with higher rates of self-reported violent crime.

For current users, the pattern was remarkably different. The connection between impulsivity and violent behavior was about 62 percent weaker among those actively taking the medications. Similarly, the link between alcohol use and violence was roughly 52 percent weaker for current users compared to former users.

“The strongest finding in the study was that the well-established link between impulsivity and violent behavior was substantially weaker among current GLP-1 users compared to former users,” Semenza said. “As GLP-1 drugs become increasingly widespread, it is important to understand all of their potential behavioral effects, including those relevant to public safety,” Semenza said.

The researchers noted that the medications do not seem to erase a person’s impulsive traits or completely stop them from drinking. Instead, the drugs appear to interrupt the process of translating those risky traits into harmful actions. “Our findings are consistent with these medications working like cognitive behavioral therapy, weakening the path from impulse to action rather than eliminating impulsivity itself,” said Christopher Thomas, an assistant professor at Rutgers University-Camden and the coauthor of the study.

When the researchers looked at nonviolent crimes, the medications did not have the same moderating effect. The researchers noted this makes sense because violent crime is often a reactive, emotional act driven by immediate context. Nonviolent property crimes, on the other hand, are often committed more deliberately for financial gain.

While the findings related to impulsivity held up across multiple statistical tests, the results regarding alcohol use were less consistent. When the researchers adjusted their models or removed certain unusual data points, the weakening effect on alcohol-related violence was not statistically significant. The authors recommend interpreting the alcohol findings cautiously until further research can confirm them.

The researchers also emphasize several limitations to their study. The data were collected at a single point in time, meaning the researchers could not track changes in behavior as people started or stopped the medications. Because they did not conduct a controlled experiment, they cannot definitively prove that the medications caused the drop in violent behavior.

It remains possible that unmeasured factors influenced the results. For example, the specific reasons people stopped taking the drugs, such as losing health insurance or experiencing a stressful life event, could independently increase their risk for aggressive behavior. Also, the baseline rates of violent crime in the general population are quite low, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

The researchers suggest that future studies should track individuals over time to see if these patterns hold up. They also recommend looking at populations with a higher baseline risk of violence, such as people involved in the justice system. Investigating the precise biological mechanisms in the brain is another important next step.

If future research confirms these findings, it could open new avenues for understanding how biological and environmental factors combine to shape human behavior. Previous studies have shown that other medications, like those for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, can also reduce aggression under certain conditions.

The researchers emphasize that these drugs should not be viewed as standalone treatments for antisocial behavior. Rather, they provide a window into how medical treatments might unexpectedly intersect with public safety. The authors stress that biological processes do not override the social and structural factors that contribute to crime.

The study, “Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use and violent crime among US adults,” was authored by Daniel C. Semenza and Christopher Thomas.