CONTEXT: Prior works demonstrates an increased risk of death when opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines are used concomitantly to gain a high. Using poison center data, we described trends in abuse or misuse of benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics. We quantified mortality risk associated with abuse or misuse of benzodiazepines, opioid analgesics and the combination of opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines.
METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of data from the National Poison Data System which collects information from 55 poison centers located across the United States. We identified reported cases of "intentional abuse or misuse" of benzodiazepine and/or opioid analgesic exposures. Poisson regression was used to compare the number of cases from each year between 2001 and 2014 to the year 2000. Logistic regression was used to determine whether cases exposed to both benzodiazepines and opioids had greater odds of death relative to cases exposed to opioid analgesics alone.
RESULTS: From 2000 to 2014, there were 125,485 benzodiazepine exposures and 84,627 opioid exposures among "intentional abuse or misuse" cases. Of the benzodiazepine exposures, 17.3% (n = 21,660) also involved an opioid. In 2010, exposures involving both opioids and benzodiazepines were 4.26-fold (95% CI: 3.87-4.70; p < .001) higher than in 2000. The risk of death was 1.55 (95% CI: 1.01-2.37; p = .04) times greater among those who used both an opioid and a benzodiazepine compared to opioids alone. This association held after adjusting for gender and age.
CONCLUSION: Intentional abuse or misuse of benzodiazepines and opioids in combination increased significantly from 2000 to 2014. Benzodiazepine abuse or misuse far exceeded cases of opioid abuse or misuse. Death was greater with co-abuse or misuse of benzodiazepines and opioids. Population-level campaigns to inform the public about the risk of death with co-abuse or misuse of benzodiazepines and opioids are urgently needed to address this overdose epidemic.