| Summary: | Shelley Jofre investigates the specter of tranquilizer dependency, and questions why, despite strict guidelines on their prescription, people in Britain are still prescribed them long-term. Seventeen and a half million benzodiazepine tranquilizer prescriptions were issued by GPs in 1999 and it is estimated that around one million patients are now hooked on the drugs. The drugs used in the short-term are beneficial for a range of symptoms. But it is widely accepted that if these drugs are prescribed beyond the 4-week maximum, they can in fact be harmful to health. Shelley Jofre asks why GPs and psychiatrists have routinely ignored warnings about side effects and addiction. Benzodiazepines are being prescribed to all ages, from teenagers to elderly patients, across the UK. But there is little or no provision for those who want to come off the drugs.
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