Our Mission
Educating about the potential adverse effects of benzodiazepines taken as prescribed.
About Us
Who we Are
We are a group of patients and medical professionals who believe the over-prescription of benzodiazepines without proper warning has resulted in a growing national epidemic of benzodiazepine injury. While we understand and respect the value of these drugs when used appropriately, deep and widespread ignorance of their risks on the part of patients and prescribers has caused enormous and preventable suffering.
Addiction or Harm?
Why Are We Solely Focused on Prescribed Use?
An analysis found that 12.5% of U.S. adults used benzodiazepines from 2015-2016, and only 0.2% met the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). Despite this, the mislabeling of prescribed patients as “addicted” continues in both medicine and the media, leading to confusion and dangerous, medically inappropriate treatments that can result in patient harm and protracted syndromes. This needs to change.
40-80%
of prescribed patients experience benzodiazepine withdrawal
10-15%
develop severe, lengthly protracted syndromes
Only 0.2%
of prescribed patients meet criteria for a substance abuse disorder or addiction
OUR IMPACT
Programs & Projects
We seek to break the stigma and raise awareness around prescribed benzodiazepine injury, provide a voice to the patients who are suffering, and facilitate research and access to competent, evidence-based medical care for those impacted by benzodiazepine induced disability.
New Research: Risk of suicide attempts and intentional self-harm on alprazolam
A large-scale exposure-only within-subject time-to-event pharmacoepidemiologic study led by Robert D. Gibbons and Kwan Hur of the University of Chicago, alongside Jill E. Lavigne and J. John Mann of Columbia University, has confirmed alarming links…
Centre for Rehabilitation and Health’s Holiday Education Session in Toronto
On Thursday, December 5, Gail Dawson, NP, a member of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) Medical Advisory Board, delivered a presentation in Toronto, Canada, at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Health’s Holiday Education Session. Her…
An Update on ASAM’s Tapering Guidelines
On November 12, 2024, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) held a meeting with the patient advisory panel, which includes two members of our organization, to discuss the status of the benzodiazepine deprescribing guidelines….
While it might initially seem that these communities and video blogs are simply artifacts of the internet culture, a closer look at the stories told on these forums suggests a different message. The message is that physicians have been unprepared for these withdrawal disorders and are unable to treat or even guide patients through complicated withdrawal from these substances.
JOSEF WITT-DOERRING, M.D.
DARYL SHORTER, M.D. THOMAS KOSTEN, M.D.
SAFE + EASY DONATIONS
Support Benzodiazepine Awareness and Help Us:
- Gain recognition of the existence and severity of prescribed benzodiazepine injury
- Hold and participate in events to educate prescribers and the public
- Push for policies that protect patients on benzodiazepines, whether they choose to remain on or taper off
- Protect those presented with benzodiazepines as a treatment option by giving them true informed consent
- Create more media awareness about this silent epidemic
- Advocate for more prescriber training in safe prescribing and cessation
- Fund research and show the need for future research that helps the harmed
