Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) The use of benzodiazepines among adolescents in Taiwan nearly doubled between 2014 and 2018, surpassing rates in Europe and the United States, according to Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes (NHRI).<\/p>\n
NHRI research found that use of sleep-inducing sedatives among Taiwanese aged 12 to 17 rose from 0.42 percent in 2014 to 0.8 percent in 2018.<\/p>\n
Within that group of adolescent benzodiazepine users, the proportion of nonprescription use also increased from 38.1 percent to 48.8 percent.<\/p>\n
The findings, drawn from a nationwide survey on substance use in Taiwan conducted every four years, were based on the latest analysis of available data.<\/p>\n
Wei J. Chen (\u9673\u70ba\u5805), vice president of the NHRI and a research fellow at the Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, led the study, which involved interviews of 17,837 people in 2014 and 18,626 in 2018.<\/p>\n
The survey results showed that overall prevalence of benzodiazepine use held steady at about 5 percent from 2014 to 2018, while nonmedical use remained at 0.7 percent.<\/p>\n
However, usage patterns differed in terms of age and gender.<\/p>\n
Among men, both prevalence and nonmedical use declined.<\/p>\n
In contrast, prevalence among women aged 18 to 39 rose from 2.91 percent to 3.81 percent during the four-year period, while nonprescription use among women aged 40 to 64 increased from 0.73 percent to 1.14 percent.<\/p>\n
Chen told CNA on Monday that rises in adolescent use of sleeping pills have also been observed internationally and may be tied to the spread of electronic devices.<\/p>\n
Chen explained that two major types of benzodiazepines are not approved for adolescent insomnia in Taiwan and many other countries.<\/p>\n
Despite this, young people may still obtain prescriptions and share the drugs with friends, he said.<\/p>\n
(By Tseng I-ning and James Thompson) <\/p>\n
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