Benzo abuse doesn’t happen in isolation—it often connects to wider substance use patterns, including misuse of prescription and illicit drugs and use alongside alcohol. This page examines who is affected across the U.S. and why people with substance use disorders may face higher risk due to mental health challenges and limited treatment access. You’ll also see what research says about overdose involvement, dangerous withdrawal if stopped abruptly, and why medically supervised tapering can help reduce symptoms.
Key Takeaways
- 58% of adults aged 18+ with a substance use disorder in 2022 reported using alcohol and 35% reported using illicit drugs; benzodiazepines are among the medications people can use nonmedically when describing drug use patterns and treatment needs
- In 2022, 6.5 million people aged 12+ reported past-year nonmedical use of tranquilizers/pain relievers/other categories; benzodiazepines are typically included in “tranquilizers” nonmedical use estimates
- In 2022, 8.9% of U.S. adults reported using prescription drugs nonmedically at least once in their lifetime (NSDUH; includes benzodiazepines)
- Only 36.5% of adults with a substance use disorder received any treatment in the past year in 2022 (NSDUH-based SAMHSA report)
- 49.4% of people with substance use disorder who needed treatment in 2022 reported perceiving a barrier to receiving care (SAMHSA NSDUH-based estimates)
- In 2020, 6.7% of people aged 12+ in the U.S. needed specialty substance use disorder treatment but did not receive it (SAMHSA NSDUH-based reporting)
- In 2019–2021, benzodiazepine involvement in overdose deaths in the U.S. was consistently high across demographic groups in CDC analyses (MMWR)
- In the U.S., there were 73,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2019; benzodiazepines are frequently involved in opioid-involved deaths per CDC MMWR analyses
- In a U.S. claims database study, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased risk of overdose in people also receiving opioids (peer-reviewed)
- Benzodiazepine withdrawal can lead to serious outcomes; a systematic review reports that seizures can occur during abrupt discontinuation (peer-reviewed)
- A systematic review found that benzodiazepine tapering protocols reduce withdrawal symptoms compared with abrupt cessation (peer-reviewed review)
- In a large cohort study, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased mortality risk in patients with substance use disorders (peer-reviewed)
- In the U.S., prescribing of benzodiazepines declined from 2012 to 2017 but overdose risk remains elevated, and concurrent opioid/benzo exposure is a major concern (CDC/related reporting)
Most adults with substance use disorders do not get treatment, and benzodiazepines remain widely implicated in overdoses and withdrawal risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence And Use4 stats
01
58% of adults aged 18+ with a substance use disorder in 2022 reported using alcohol and 35% reported using illicit drugs; benzodiazepines are among the medications people can use nonmedically when describing drug use patterns and treatment needs
02
In 2022, 6.5 million people aged 12+ reported past-year nonmedical use of tranquilizers/pain relievers/other categories; benzodiazepines are typically included in “tranquilizers” nonmedical use estimates
03
In 2022, 8.9% of U.S. adults reported using prescription drugs nonmedically at least once in their lifetime (NSDUH; includes benzodiazepines)
04
From 1996 to 2013, benzodiazepine use increased among U.S. adults in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); this is a commonly cited long-run trend relevant to misuse risk
Interpretation
Prevalence And Use Interpretation
In the prevalence and use of benzo-related substances, the data show that in 2022 among adults aged 18 plus with a substance use disorder, 35% reported using illicit drugs and benzodiazepines were part of this wider pattern, while 6.5 million people ages 12 plus reported past year nonmedical use of tranquilizers and related categories.
02 · Category
Treatment And Care6 stats
01
Only 36.5% of adults with a substance use disorder received any treatment in the past year in 2022 (NSDUH-based SAMHSA report)
02
49.4% of people with substance use disorder who needed treatment in 2022 reported perceiving a barrier to receiving care (SAMHSA NSDUH-based estimates)
03
In 2020, 6.7% of people aged 12+ in the U.S. needed specialty substance use disorder treatment but did not receive it (SAMHSA NSDUH-based reporting)
04
A meta-analysis reported that structured benzodiazepine tapering is effective for reducing withdrawal symptoms and discontinuation rates (peer-reviewed)
05
In an RCT, supervised benzodiazepine withdrawal with psychological support improved abstinence/discontinuation outcomes compared with self-managed tapering (peer-reviewed trial)
06
In 2022, the U.S. had 82,000 inpatient detoxifications and outpatient substance use disorder treatment episodes reported nationally for SUD care (SAMHSA)
Interpretation
Treatment And Care Interpretation
Only 36.5% of adults with a substance use disorder received treatment in 2022, and among those who needed care 49.4% reported barriers, showing that even for benzo-related issues effective treatment and care are still out of reach for most people.
03 · Category
Overdose And Mortality11 stats
01
In 2019–2021, benzodiazepine involvement in overdose deaths in the U.S. was consistently high across demographic groups in CDC analyses (MMWR)
02
In the U.S., there were 73,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2019; benzodiazepines are frequently involved in opioid-involved deaths per CDC MMWR analyses
03
In a U.S. claims database study, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased risk of overdose in people also receiving opioids (peer-reviewed)
04
A population study in Sweden reported increased mortality among benzodiazepine users (peer-reviewed national registry study)
05
A meta-analysis estimated that benzodiazepine use increases risk of falls in older adults by about 1.5–2x (peer-reviewed meta-analysis), relevant to morbidity from misuse/tapering failures
06
7,014 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2019 in the United States
07
7,608 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2020 in the United States
08
8,420 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2021 in the United States
09
7,215 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2018 in the United States
10
6,664 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2017 in the United States
11
6,170 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths occurred in 2016 in the United States
Interpretation
Overdose And Mortality Interpretation
From the overdose and mortality angle, benzodiazepines show up in U.S. overdose deaths at consistently high levels from 2019 to 2021 and are frequently involved in the 73,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2019, while studies also link benzodiazepine use to higher overdose risk and increased mortality.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
Benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths (U.S.)
Benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths rose from 2016 to 2021, with 2021 the leader year and a clear upward direction across the period.
6,170 deaths
Start
+6.42%
CAGR · 5y
8,422 deaths
Projected
20162021
source-verifiedcdc.gov2021
04 · Category
Policy And Risk8 stats
01
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can lead to serious outcomes; a systematic review reports that seizures can occur during abrupt discontinuation (peer-reviewed)
02
A systematic review found that benzodiazepine tapering protocols reduce withdrawal symptoms compared with abrupt cessation (peer-reviewed review)
03
In a large cohort study, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased mortality risk in patients with substance use disorders (peer-reviewed)
04
The U.S. CDC highlights that benzodiazepines are among drugs most commonly implicated in overdose deaths involving opioids (CDC)
05
In 2023, the U.S. Medicare and Medicaid policy environment continued limiting benzodiazepine co-prescribing via clinical guidance and stewardship programs (CMS stewardship and opioid guidance)
06
A 2021 systematic review reported that benzodiazepine dependence affects a meaningful fraction of long-term users and is associated with withdrawal morbidity (peer-reviewed)
07
In 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continued to list controlled benzodiazepines and highlight diversion/misuse in public updates; the DEA provides controlled substance schedules with benzodiazepines
08
In 2023, the European Commission listed flunitrazepam and related substances among controlled psychoactive substances under EU regulation affecting availability and diversion risk (EU legal text)
Interpretation
Policy And Risk Interpretation
Across multiple reviews and cohort evidence, benzodiazepine withdrawal and dependence pose serious policy-relevant risks, and the CMS and CDC have kept pressure on limiting co-prescribing because benzodiazepines are among the drugs most frequently implicated in opioid-involved overdose deaths.
05 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
In the U.S., prescribing of benzodiazepines declined from 2012 to 2017 but overdose risk remains elevated, and concurrent opioid/benzo exposure is a major concern (CDC/related reporting)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Although U.S. benzodiazepine prescribing dropped from 2012 to 2017, overdose risk stays elevated, underscoring an industry trend where reduced prescribing does not yet translate into safer outcomes for patients.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Benzo Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzo-abuse-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Benzo Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/benzo-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Benzo Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzo-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)