I respectfully disagree with Paul Capcara's conclusion that Vermont should expedite the process for forcibly medicating psychiatric patients.
I watched my grandmother strapped down and injected with these drugs while she pleaded for nurses to stop. The drugs made it easier for the nurses to manage my grandmother. But to her, blurry vision, chronic dry mouth, anxiety, and intolerable restlessness were just a few of the long-lasting side effects she associated with her daily toxic regimen.
As a health-care worker myself, I know how stressful medical settings can be. Nurses need more support and training in conflict de-escalation, and they should be consulted in treating patients. We should reinvest in art therapy, music therapy, and other types of treatment.
As for medications, doctors already have the authority to prescribe them against patients' wishes in acute emergencies. We should not make it any easier to forcibly drug patients as part of their treatment.