An article published in the May 2010 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported that researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine have found that hospitalizations due to poisoning from opioids, sedatives, and tranquilizers is on the rise. Data studied from 1999 to 2006 revealed that those hospitalizations had risen 65% during that period of time.

This increase was double the increase in the number of hospitalizations from poisonings due to other drugs and substances. While most of these poisonings were noted to be unintentional there was still a large increase in intentional events. Benzodiazepines (drugs like diazepam = Valium, alprazolam = Xanax, and lorazepam = Ativan) showed the greatest increase in the number of cases over the time period studied.

The researchers noted that the increase in hospitalizations mirrored the increase in mortality from prescription drugs during this same period of time. The increase in the availability of these useful but dangerous drugs is concerning. The fact that these drugs were ingested unintentionally in most cases is more worrisome than their availability for intentional ingestion.  bjmdjd

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American Journal of Preventive Medicine · benzodiazepines · prescription drug poisoning · West Virginia School of Medicine

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