[rsynnott]

> Last year, the drug was handed out freely, with very little worry, to anybody claiming that they would visit a country with malaria.

Well, for a start, no it wasn't (many if not most malarial areas mostly have resistant strains, and other drugs are more appropriate there). But anyone who was given it was warned beforehand (or at least should have been). It's not a safe drug. It is, however, safer than getting malaria, so you should probably take it if you're going to an area where it will be effective.

What you should probably not do is take it because a weird French doctor and some people on the internet said to.