Prescribed tranquiliser dependency
Case reference FOI2024/00308
Published 1 March 2024
Request
From April 2013 local authorities were given responsibility by Public Health England for providing drug and alcohol services. This FOI request relates only to those patients who have become addicted or dependent upon tranquilising medications prescribed by their doctors. They do not abuse these or other substances, and were not previously dependent on these or other substances. This group is therefore distinct from illicit drug users. Can I please request the following information:
1. How many referrals have there been to drug and alcohol services in your local authority in the years 2021, 2022, 2023 for treatment for addiction to benzodiazepines, z drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opiods prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by year, gender and drug.
2. How many Involuntary Tranquilliser Addicts are currently in treatment provided by your local authority's drug and alcohol services for addiction to benzodiazepine, z drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opiods prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by gender and drug. Could you please supply your answer in an excel spreadsheet. -
Response
Can I please request the following information:
1. How many referrals have there been to drug and alcohol services in your local authority in the years 2021, 2022, 2023 for treatment for addiction to benzodiazepines, z drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opiods prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by year, gender and drug.
2. How many Involuntary Tranquilliser Addicts are currently in treatment provided by your local authority's drug and alcohol services for addiction to benzodiazepine, z drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opiods prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by gender and drug.
A: Public Health within the Local Authority, commission a drug and alcohol service which will support anyone with a drug and/or alcohol use issue, including those with a dependency on prescribed and over the counter medicines. However, we are unable to provide the information requested in FOI2024/00308, due to the requested stating 'request relates only to those patients who have become dependent upon tranquilising medications prescribed by their doctors. They do not abuse these or other substances, and were not previously dependant on these or other substances'.
The service that we commission does not distinguish between how someone became dependent on any drug, including tranquilising medications prescribed by their doctors. It is therefore not feasible to respond to this request with any information or data about referrals linked to the various drugs being prescribed by their GP.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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