Amid rising concern over long-term use and side effects, France has launched a national campaign to raise awareness about the risks associated with commonly prescribed anti-anxiety and sleep medications such as Xanax, Lexomil and Temesta.
France's National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) has launched an awareness campaign to highlight the hidden dangers of benzodiazepines – a class of drugs that includes common medications such as Xanax, Lexomil and Temesta, which are frequently prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders.
While these drugs are widely used across France, many patients are unaware of the serious risks linked to prolonged use, including dependence, cognitive impairment and increased risk of accidents.
With more than 9 million people in France taking these medications in 2023 – including related drugs such as zopiclone and zolpidem (marketed as Imovane and Stilnox) – the ANSM is urging caution.
Around three-quarters of prescriptions come from GPs, and while the drugs can be helpful, the agency warns that they should be used sparingly and only for short periods.
In their social media campaign, the ANSM says: "Anxiety medications are for a short time. Insomnia medications are for a few nights!"
Side effects
According to Dr Philippe Vella, ANSM’s medical director: “France ranks second in Europe for benzodiazepine use, behind Spain but well ahead of the UK and Germany."
On average, 34 pills per person are consumed annually in France, compared to just five to seven in the United Kingdom or Germany.
The most commonly used drugs – Xanax, Imovane and Lexomil – can cause drowsiness, dependence, memory problems and dangerous falls in older adults.
These risks grow with prolonged use, something many patients don’t realise, Dr Vella explained to French news agency AFP.
The medications can also significantly impair driving ability, especially when mixed with alcohol and are a major contributor to drug-related road accidents.
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Temporary solution
In France, 40 percent of patients – around 3.6 million people – are prescribed these drugs for too long.
Although benzodiazepines have been on the market in France since the 1960s, the ANSM stresses that they are intended as a temporary solution for symptoms, rather than a cure for the root causes of anxiety or insomnia.
Prescriptions for anxiety should not exceed 12 weeks, and those for insomnia, no more than three.
In older adults, their use should be avoided whenever possible. Yet almost half of all patients taking these pills are over 65.
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Recreational use
Young people are also a key concern, with a recent Viavoice survey revealing that fewer than one in four under-30s are aware of the risks of dependence, or the dangers linked to driving.
While overall prescriptions have remained stable since 2017, use among under-19s has surged by 25 percent – and among girls in that age group, by 40 percent.
There is also growing misuse of these drugs among 18 to 25-year-olds. Benzodiazepines are increasingly being taken recreationally – combined in “cocktails” with opioids or included in so-called “party lollipops” with ketamine and MDMA.
They are also the drugs most frequently used in cases of chemical submission – the use of drugs to perpetrate a crime, often sexual in nature, against another person, which was brought into the spotlight with the recent case of Gisèle Pelicot.
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Drug-free alternatives
In order to reach younger audiences, the ANSM has teamed up with TikTok, Instagram and social media influencers active on those platforms to spread awareness.
Their campaign highlights alternative methods for addressing anxiety such as yoga, meditation and physical activity.
GPs are being encouraged to tackle the underlying causes of anxiety and insomnia, and to prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Smaller prescription packs – of five to seven tablets – have also been made more widely available since 2022.
France spends some €100 million annually on benzodiazepine reimbursements through its national health insurance system – a sum that could be reduced by €30 million if prescribing habits changed.
(with newswires)
