Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines and Opioid Abuse — a Deadly Combination
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A presentation will be given on benzodiazepines, a widely prescribed drug that has had rising, deadly effects when mixed with growing opioid abuse, will be given Friday morning in Norwalk City Hall. This presentation is appropriate for all community members, but doctors can receive “CEU” [continuing education unit] credit for professional certificates or licenses. Are we ignoring an escalating benzodiazepine epidemic amongst adolescents and young adults? Deaths from benzodiazepines (BZDs) overdose have grown at a faster rate than deaths by opiate overdose for the past 13 years. OCME [Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Connecticut] 2016 data shows that 28 percent of the overdose deaths last year were due to a combination of opioids, BZDs and other drugs. Fairfield County has the second-highest rate of BZD prescriptions in Connecticut.
Benzodiazepine pills are used primarily for treatment of anxiety; a controlled substance; some of the more well-known benzos are Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Klonopin
SIDEBAR: More on Benzodiazepines
From the Mayo Clinic website:
“Benzodiazepines are risky drugs; that’s the bottom line,” says Dr. Larissa Loukianova, medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Center.