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MPs CALL FOR TRANQUILLISER CRACKDOWN

Edinburgh Evening News
November 23, 2002

New restrictions on the prescribing of common tranquillisers such as Valium, Temazepam and Ativan are being demanded by MPs.

They claim that the drugs known as benzodiazepines or "benzos" are too often handed out by doctors.

They claim that people end up with serious addiction problems and warn that the NHS could face big compensation claims from patients who are over-prescribed the drugs.

Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz, Linlithgow’s Tam Dalyell and Fife North East’s Menzies Campbell are among more than 80 MPs who have signed a Commons motion on the issue.

They say that the tranquillisers have been over-prescribed and want tough new guidelines brought in for general practitioners to prevent this.

The MPs want the Government to provide greater support services for the involuntary and voluntary addicts of benzodiazepines.

Mr Lazarowicz said: "We need tighter controls to try and prevent this problem continuing and growing."


Media Archive · Beat The Benzos Campaign 2002

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