MONDAY, March 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Taken correctly, prescription drugs used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can help teens and young adults navigate their condition, but a new study finds many are dying from overdosing on these medications. In 2019, benzodiazepines like Xanax and stimulants like Adderall accounted for more than 700 and 900 overdose deaths, respectively, in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "In recent years, there has been considerable attention devoted to risks of addiction associated with diverted or illicitly obtained benzodiazepines and stimulants," said senior researcher Dr. Mark Olfson. He is a professor of psychiatry, medicine and law at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. "The new study serves as a reminder that prescription benzodiazepines and stimulants also pose overdose risks to the patients who are prescribed them," Olfson said.
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