About 3.6% of US adults reported misusing benzodiazepines in the past year, but the bigger shock is how often they travel alongside opioid overdose risk. Benzodiazepines were involved in 10.4% of opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2022, while many people are still receiving them far longer than recommended, creating a gap between how they are prescribed and how they actually end up affecting lives. This post pulls together the most telling statistics on misuse patterns, dependence, overdose, and treatment outcomes to show where the harm concentrates and why.
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 3.6% of adults aged 18+ reported past-year misusing benzodiazepines (U.S.)
- In 2021, 11.6% of people aged 12+ reported misuse of prescription pain relievers at some point; 3.3% reported misuse of benzodiazepines in the past year (U.S.)
- In 2022, 2.1% of people aged 12+ reported misuse of benzodiazepines in the past year (U.S.)
- In 2022, benzodiazepines were involved in 10.4% of opioid-involved overdose deaths (U.S.)
- In 2020, benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths in the U.S. were 11,537 (CDC NCHS/Drug Poisoning data)
- In a U.S. claims study, average inpatient cost per benzodiazepine overdose admission was $18,400 (2016 USD)
- In 2021, synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by 28.3% year over year; benzodiazepines were frequently co-involved in those deaths (U.S.)
- In a 2017 U.S. study, 25% of people prescribed benzodiazepines reported at least one misuse behavior
- In a U.S. cohort study, 38.7% of long-term benzodiazepine users reported symptoms consistent with dependence
- People with opioid use disorder had higher odds of benzodiazepine misuse: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.5 (U.S.)
- In a Swedish register study, patients who underwent structured withdrawal programs had a 41% lower risk of benzodiazepine-related hospitalization (hazard ratio 0.59)
- In the U.S., only 2.4% of people with benzodiazepine use disorder received any treatment (SAMHSA/NSDUH-based estimate)
- A randomized trial found that supervised tapering plus CBT reduced benzodiazepine use severity by 45% at 6 months
- In 2020, 16.2% of patients initiating benzodiazepines were also receiving opioids (U.S.)
- In the U.S., 25.7% of adults on benzodiazepines were prescribed them for longer than recommended duration (over 6 months) (U.S.)
About 3.6% of US adults misuse benzodiazepines, and they are frequently co involved in deadly overdoses.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence3 stats
01
Approximately 3.6% of adults aged 18+ reported past-year misusing benzodiazepines (U.S.)
02
In 2021, 11.6% of people aged 12+ reported misuse of prescription pain relievers at some point; 3.3% reported misuse of benzodiazepines in the past year (U.S.)
03
In 2022, 2.1% of people aged 12+ reported misuse of benzodiazepines in the past year (U.S.)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
From a prevalence standpoint, benzodiazepine misuse affects a minority but consistent share of the population, with 3.6% of adults 18+ reporting past year misuse in the U.S. and past year misuse among ages 12+ reported at 3.3% in 2021 and 2.1% in 2022.
02 · Category
Costs & Burden8 stats
01
In 2022, benzodiazepines were involved in 10.4% of opioid-involved overdose deaths (U.S.)
02
In 2020, benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths in the U.S. were 11,537 (CDC NCHS/Drug Poisoning data)
03
In a U.S. claims study, average inpatient cost per benzodiazepine overdose admission was $18,400(2016 USD)
04
In a U.S. analysis, opioid-and-benzodiazepine co-involved overdoses accounted for $4.7 billion in societal costs (2017 USD)
05
In the U.S., medical costs from prescription drug misuse were estimated at $78.5 billion in 2013, including benzodiazepines among misused prescription classes
06
In a U.S. study, mean hospital length of stay for benzodiazepine overdoses was 4.6 days
07
In an OECD health report, drug-related morbidity and mortality contributed approximately 1.0% of total DALYs in the EU/UK region (context includes benzodiazepine-related burden)
08
In the U.S., 17% of people who misuse prescription sedatives used healthcare services for overdoses in the past year (NSDUH-based)
Interpretation
Costs & Burden Interpretation
In the U.S., benzodiazepines were involved in 11,537 overdose deaths in 2020 and generated substantial economic and health burden through high inpatient costs averaging $18,400 per admission and $4.7 billion in societal costs from opioid and benzodiazepine co-involved overdoses, underscoring why this drug class remains a major driver of costs and burden.
03 · Category
Trends1 stats
01
In 2021, synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by 28.3% year over year; benzodiazepines were frequently co-involved in those deaths (U.S.)
Interpretation
Trends Interpretation
In 2021, as synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths jumped 28.3% year over year, benzodiazepines were commonly co-involved, underscoring a clear upward trend in polysubstance overdose risk.
More related reading
04 · Category
Risk Factors10 stats
01
In a 2017 U.S. study, 25% of people prescribed benzodiazepines reported at least one misuse behavior
02
In a U.S. cohort study, 38.7% of long-term benzodiazepine users reported symptoms consistent with dependence
03
People with opioid use disorder had higher odds of benzodiazepine misuse: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.5 (U.S.)
04
Co-use of opioids and benzodiazepines increased overdose risk; aOR 2.6 compared with opioids alone (U.S.)
05
In a 2014 systematic review, benzodiazepines were associated with increased risk of mortality when combined with opioids (pooled risk ratio 2.3)
06
In a meta-analysis, benzodiazepine use increased the risk of falls by 1.3-fold (pooled relative risk 1.3) in older adults
07
In a population study, 7.6% of adults reported using benzodiazepines without a prescription (U.S.)
08
In older adults, benzodiazepine use was associated with a 1.7-fold increased risk of hip fracture
09
In a UK study, 18.4% of people prescribed benzodiazepines had evidence of misuse or problematic use behaviors
10
In a Canadian study, 20% of people who used nonmedical sedatives reported regular benzodiazepine use
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
Across risk factors for benzodiazepine addiction, the data show that misuse and dependence are common among those already exposed, with 25% reporting misuse in 2017 and 38.7% of long term users showing dependence symptoms, and the risk is even higher when benzodiazepines intersect with other vulnerabilities like opioid use, where co use raises overdose risk to an aOR of 2.6 and increases mortality risk when combined with opioids to a pooled risk ratio of 2.3.
05 · Category
Treatment & Outcomes11 stats
01
In a Swedish register study, patients who underwent structured withdrawal programs had a 41% lower risk of benzodiazepine-related hospitalization (hazard ratio 0.59)
02
In the U.S., only 2.4% of people with benzodiazepine use disorder received any treatment (SAMHSA/NSDUH-based estimate)
03
A randomized trial found that supervised tapering plus CBT reduced benzodiazepine use severity by 45% at 6 months
04
In a systematic review/meta-analysis, structured benzodiazepine withdrawal interventions increased successful discontinuation by 2.3-fold
05
A cohort study reported 1-year relapse to benzodiazepine misuse of 29% after tapering-only vs 18% with tapering + CBT
06
In a meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions, effect size (Hedges g) was 0.42 for reducing benzodiazepine misuse vs control
07
In a 2016 Cochrane review, there was insufficient evidence for medication-assisted treatment specifically for benzodiazepine dependence (no established pharmacotherapy)
08
In a 2019 observational study, benzodiazepine withdrawal resulted in 23% fewer outpatient visits for anxiety symptoms over 12 months
09
In a U.S. study, opioid-involved patients receiving combined behavioral interventions for substance use had a 16% reduction in overdose risk over 24 months when benzodiazepines were targeted
10
In a systematic review, seizure incidence during benzodiazepine withdrawal was 0.1% with gradual tapering vs higher rates with abrupt discontinuation
11
In a large U.S. claims study, detoxification followed by outpatient follow-up was associated with a 1.9 percentage-point lower 30-day readmission rate
Interpretation
Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation
Across studies in the Treatment and Outcomes category, structured withdrawal and combined therapies consistently improve real-world results, with supervised tapering plus CBT cutting benzodiazepine use severity by 45% at 6 months and structured programs doubling the odds of successful discontinuation, while also reducing hospitalization risk by 41% compared with usual care.
06 · Category
Healthcare Patterns10 stats
01
In 2020, 16.2% of patients initiating benzodiazepines were also receiving opioids (U.S.)
02
In the U.S., 25.7% of adults on benzodiazepines were prescribed them for longer than recommended duration (over 6 months) (U.S.)
03
In a U.S. national survey, 58% of adults taking benzodiazepines reported using them for longer than intended (U.S.)
04
In a U.S. study, 43% of benzodiazepine users received multiple benzodiazepines concurrently (U.S.)
05
In the U.S., 34.2% of people receiving benzodiazepines had no documented follow-up visit within 3 months
06
In a German claims analysis, 27% of benzodiazepine prescriptions were issued for longer than 3 months
07
In England, 37% of benzodiazepine users received repeat prescriptions without a review at 12 weeks
08
In a U.S. Medicare analysis, average benzodiazepine exposure was 9.4 months among long-term users
09
In a U.S. commercial claims study, 12.7% of benzodiazepine users had evidence of at least one early refill
10
In a 2019 study of emergency department visits, benzodiazepines were identified in 9.4% of visits related to nonmedical drug use (U.S.)
Interpretation
Healthcare Patterns Interpretation
Across healthcare settings, benzodiazepine use often extends beyond recommended practice, with 25.7% of U.S. adults prescribed them longer than recommended and 34.2% having no follow up within 3 months.
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
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Benzodiazepine Addiction Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-addiction-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Benzodiazepine Addiction Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-addiction-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Benzodiazepine Addiction Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-addiction-statistics.
Sources & references
43 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+34 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)