Alprazolam Among Top Causes of Fatal Overdoses in Florida

[23536]

Deaths in Florida involving prescription drugs in 2009 were four times as common as those related to illicit drugs, with alprazolam (Xanax) joining opioids among the top killers, the CDC reported.

From 2003 to 2009, the death rate in Florida from overdoses of prescription drugs increased 84.2%, from 7.3 to 13.4 per 100,000 population, according to data from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission analyzed by the CDC in the July 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Drugs with the greatest increases in death rates were oxycodone (264.6%), alprazolam (233.8%), and methadone (79.2%).

In 2003, the use of alprazolam -- the benzodiazepine drug for anxiety -- resulted in 1.3 deaths per 100,000 population. That number steadily grew over the years, resulting in 4.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2009, a 233.8% change.

For oxycodone, deaths rose from 1.7 per 100,000 in 2003 to 6.4 in 2009.

Deaths involving illicit drugs did not increase as rapidly, and, in fact, declined in 2009.

Deaths involving heroin in 2003 were 1.4 per 100,000, declining to 0.5 in 2009. For cocaine, those numbers were 3.2 versus 2.8, respectively.

Overdoses involving alcohol increased 84% over the study period.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/27463

 

[phr]

So, yeah, more scripts and easier access can explain the pharm stuff, for the most part. What explains this:

Overdoses involving alcohol increased 84% over the study period.

 

[The Network]

Don't benzos require like 2.5g/kg to overdose? That would cost a quarter of a million dollars to kill a normal person..

There's no way a pure benzo alone can kill a person that isn't a millionaire, they're obviously combining shit and overdose is a misnomer.

 

[wooger]

^^ I was thinking the same thing, I'm guessing it's people mixing drugs but the article doesn't seem to go out of their way to make this clear!

 

[Pegasus]

84% increase in alcohol deaths

Possibly interactions with the pharms? Considering that this article is about alprazolam, I'd say that this has to be the case at least to a degree.

 

[The Network]

^ Yeah, benzos aren't supposed to be use with anything that depresses breathing, which I'm pretty damn sure alcohol can do heavily.

 

[Baldwin]

Remember kids, don't take xanax, it can KILL!

Alcohol is fine btw, drink as much as you can, it's good for the economy.

Misleading articles like this make me RAEG

 

[The Network]

^ I know you're new here, but you can't tell people to do drugs, that's not harm reduction. Legal or illegal, joking or serious, it's against the rules.

 

[SangerRainsford]

Good ole booze, the only legal+socially acceptable hard d
rug..

 

[BlueberryfishY]

I know for a fact that they are cracking down on over prescribing or even prescribing xanax at all here in florida, i've heard from 4 or 5 people i know that used to get xanax scripts that have been taken off and/or switched over to k-pins or valium this year.

 

[LogicSoDeveloped]

People also mix it with opiates. The combined respiratory depression is the dangerous part. Well that and the blackouts and stuff of that nature. If used properly, however, it is effective against panic attacks from what I understand. I've never personally taken it though for personal reasons.