THURSDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Admissions for treatment of
benzodiazepine abuse nearly tripled in the United States between
1998 and 2008, while overall admissions for substance abuse rose
only 11 percent, according to a government study released
Thursday.
Benzodiazepines -- a class of drugs prescribed to treat anxiety,
insomnia and seizure disorders -- include Valium, Halcion, Xanax,
Ativan and Librium. Abuse of benzodiazepines, which were introduced
in the 1950s to replace barbiturates, can lead to addiction, injury
and death.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) study found that admissions for treatment of
benzodiazepine abuse among patients 12 and older rose from 22,400
in 1998 to 60,200 a decade later. Benzodiazepine-related admissions
accounted for 3.2 percent of all substance abuse admissions in
2008, compared with 1.3 percent in 1998.
Most admissions involved white patients (84.8 percent), males
(56 percent), and those ages 18 to 34 (55.3 percent). Ninety-five
percent of patients who abused benzodiazepines also abused other
substances, and in more than three-quarters of those cases,
benzodiazepine was the secondary drug of abuse.
Opiates were the primary substance of abuse in more than half of
all the cases where benzodiazepine was the secondary drug of abuse.
But there were age-related differences. Among teens, marijuana was
the most common primary substance of abuse. Among patients 45 and
older, alcohol nearly equaled opiates (42.1 percent vs. 47.1
percent) as the primary substance of abuse.
"The misuse of benzodiazepines along with other prescription drugs is fueling the rise of treatment admissions," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in an agency news release.
"Prescription drug misuse is dangerous and can even be deadly. Everyone has a role to play in helping to prevent prescription drug misuse. Simple steps such as locking up medications and proper disposal of unused medications are easy ways people can contribute to reducing the problem," she said.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more about
prescription drug abuse and addiction.