Deaths linked to common anxiety drug soar

USERS of a commonly prescribed drug to treat anxiety and depression have been warned of its addictive and potentially fatal effects after a report revealed soaring misuse rates and identified it as a factor in 31% of all drug-related deaths.

The National Drug-Related Deaths Index, co-ordinated by the Health Research Board (HRB), also shows drug-related deaths in which benzodiazepines were implicated increased from a total of 65 in 1998 to 88 in 2007.

North Dublin had the highest rate of death at four cases per 100,000 population, followed by the southern area at 3.1 cases.