Some of the media outlets we have assisted…
OUR IMPACT
Our Vision
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.
Latest Speaking & Events
Our Programs
Ashton Manual Distribution Program
We adapted the Ashton Manual, one of the most important documents in the benzodiazepine literature, into several easy-to-share formats, including on our website, PDF, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble Nook. We share the manual worldwide for free. Through our efforts, the Ashton Manual is ranked the number one bestseller in both pharmacology and medication drug guides on Amazon. Get your copy here.
Benzodiazepine Action Work Group Colorado
We partnered with the Colorado Consortium to form the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group. Through this group, we develop programs and further awareness in Colorado.
Benzodiazepine Aware Doctor’s List
As access to a provider knowledgeable about safer tapering is a common challenge patients face, we maintain a list of medical providers worldwide that may be helpful to patients hoping to slowly taper off their prescribed benzodiazepine.
FDA Reporting Program
We collaborate with patient groups to ensure benzodiazepine harm is reported. Our program grabbed the FDA’s attention, and they ultimately issued a boxed warning in 2020 after making their own inquiry. Learn more about the new warning here. We continue to encourage patients to report their harm. The instructions to file a report can be found here.
FDA Tapering Guidelines
Several members of our organization participate in a patient panel that informs the FDA’s development of deprescribing guidelines using their personal lived experiences. We aim for the patient voice to be heard and incorporated in these guidelines.
Informed Consent Initiative
We advocate for an accurate benzodiazepine informed consent process to be implemented at the time of prescription and cessation. See our Informed Consent for more information. Members of our organization have testified in legislative efforts in support of informed consent. Some testimony is available on our YouTube.
Language Awareness Initiative
An initiative to correct inaccurate addiction terminology in the media and medical community.
Media Outreach and Professional Speaking
We speak about prescribed benzodiazepine harm and related topics in the media, including print, video, podcast, and in a professional capacity at various events and conferences. To see some of our work, visit our Press Room and Professional Speaking. A playlist of some of our podcast appearances is available on Spotify.
Research And Publications
We are collaborating on several research projects, including a study on developing a toolkit for safely deprescribing benzos and a series of papers reporting results from a benzodiazepine patient experience survey. Our past research can be viewed on Research and Publications.
Safer Tapering Awareness Initiative
We developed our own literature regarding safe benzodiazepine deprescribing and speak regularly about the importance of safer cessation. See resources and our impact for more information.
Selected Media Outreach
More stories and podcasts featuring our members are available in our Press Room.
Prescription Nightmare
Enquête, Radio Canada
February 15, 2024
What patients — and doctors — should know about ‘benzo’ withdrawal
The Washington Post
September 2, 2023
Benzo nightmare: US doctor on a personal mission to highlight the dangers of the drug
Irish Examiner
April 24, 2020
Benzo nightmare: US doctor on a personal mission to highlight the dangers of the drug
Irish Examiner
April 24, 2020
This is Life with Lisa Ling -The Benzos Crisis
CNN
October 6, 2019
Inside CNN Benzos Report: The Next Big Drug Crisis?
Westworld
October 4, 2019
An epidemic — and it’s not opioids
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
October 23, 2018
With benzos, a doctor discovers ease of dependency, ordeal of withdrawal
Daily Hampshire Gazette
January 1, 2018
I Tried to Get Off Ativan
Vice
January 12, 2017
Our Research & Publications
Brandt J, Bressi J, Lê M-L, et al. Prescribing and deprescribing guidance for benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine receptor agonist use in adults with depression, anxiety, and insomnia: An international scoping review. eClinicalMedicine. 2024;70:102507. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102507
Lynch T, Ryan C, Huff C, Foster DE, Cadogan C. ‘We need more support and doctors that understand the process of tapering …’: A content analysis of free‐text responses to a questionnaire on discontinuing long‐term benzodiazepine receptor agonist use. Health Expectations. 2024;27(1).
Ritvo AD, Foster DE, Huff C, Finlayson AJR, Silvernail B, et al. (2023) Long-term consequences of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction: A survey. PLOS ONE 18(6): e0285584.
Huff, C., Finlayson, A. R., Foster, D. E., & Martin, P. R. (2023). Enduring neurological sequelae of benzodiazepine use: an Internet survey. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 13, 20451253221145561.
Lynch, T., Ryan, C., Bradley, C., Foster, D., Huff, C., Hutchinson, S., … & Cadogan, C. (2022). Supporting safe and gradual reduction of long‐term benzodiazepine receptor agonist use: Development of the SAFEGUARDING‐BZRAs toolkit using a codesign approach. Health Expectations, 25(4), 1904-1918.
Reid Finlayson, A. J., Macoubrie, J., Huff, C., Foster, D. E., & Martin, P. R. (2022). Experiences with benzodiazepine use, tapering, and discontinuation: an Internet survey. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 12, 20451253221082386.
Huff, C., (2021). Response to “Acute and Persistent Withdrawal Syndromes following Discontinuation of Psychotropic Medications” by Cosci et al. (2020). Psychother Psychosom 2021;90:207-208. doi: 10.1159/000514045
Horowitz, M. A., Wright, J. M., & Taylor, D. (2021). Risks and benefits of benzodiazepines. JAMA, 325(21), 2208. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.4513
Witt-Doerring, J., Shorter, D., & Kosten, T. R. (2018, April 18). Online Communities for Drug Withdrawal: What Can We Learn? Psychiatric Times.
LaCorte, S. (2018). How chronic administration of benzodiazepines leads to unexplained chronic illnesses: a hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 118, 59-67.
Verret, B. (2017). Hidden Dangers Of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics In The Benzodiazepine-Dependent Population. Unpublished.
Verret, B. (2017). Psychopharmacology And Commonly Encountered Enzymatic Drug-Drug Interactions: Implications On Psychiatric Treatment And Psychopharmaceutical Discontinuation Protocols. Unpublished.
Kripke, D. F. (2017). What do hypnotics cost hospitals and healthcare?. F1000Research, 6.
Huff, L.C., Martin, P.R., Reid Finlayson, A.J., (2017). Position Statement On The Use Of Benzodiazepines In Patients Receiving Buprenorphine Treatment. Unpublished.
Kripke, D. F. (2016). Hypnotic drug risks of mortality, infection, depression, and cancer: but lack of benefit. F1000Research, 5.
Kripke, D. F. (2015). Do hypnotic drugs cause cancer, like cigarettes?. Sleep medicine, 16(12), 1550-1551.
Kripke, D. F. (2016). I petitioned the FDA to restrict hypnotics: here is why.
Kripke, D. F. (2014). Hypnotics cause insomnia: evidence from clinical trials. Sleep medicine, 15(9), 1168-1169.
Kripke, D. F. (2014). “Rebound” is not an appropriate criterion for withdrawal insomnia. Sleep medicine, 15(12), 1594.
Pittman, C., Youngs, W., Karle, E. (2013). Social Networking and Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: The Realities of Dependence and the Necessity of Support. Unpublished.
Joya, F. L., Kripke, D. F., Loving, R. T., Dawson, A., & Kline, L. E. (2009). Meta-analyses of hypnotics and infections: eszopiclone, ramelteon, zaleplon, and zolpidem. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 5(4), 377-383.
Kripke, D. F. (2008). Possibility that certain hypnotics might cause cancer in skin. Journal of sleep research, 17(3), 245-250.
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
