Latvia is grappling with a severe and rapidly escalating problem of tranquilizer addiction. According to Latvian Radio 4, while only 17% of patients in Europe take benzodiazepines, this figure soars to 40% in Latvia, a rate several times the European average and a threefold increase over the past six years. Approximately 57,000 Latvians daily consume these medications, turning what should be short-term treatments into long-standing habits. The issue was highlighted by Mixnews.
The core of the problem lies in insufficient oversight. Despite regulations stipulating that only one pack per month should be prescribed by a single doctor, patients easily obtain multiple prescriptions from different specialists.
The publication notes that tranquilizers are being prescribed not only by psychiatrists and family doctors but also by a range of unexpected specialists—from gastroenterologists and cardiologists to even massage therapists and physiotherapists, who are not medically qualified. This situation puzzles even healthcare professionals. “Why would a pathologist have the right to prescribe Xanax?” wonders psychiatrist Marta Gebele.
As long as access to powerful medications remains so straightforward and the system for monitoring their prescription is merely a formality, the number of individuals struggling with addiction is set to continue its upward trend.
Latvia’s Tranquilizer Addiction Repercussions
The repercussions of this “silent epidemic” are already evident in hospitals, which are seeing a rising number of patients admitted for overdoses and suicidal ideation. Investigative journalists from Latvian Radio’s ‘Atvērtie faili’ program are sounding the alarm, stating that Latvia’s healthcare system faces a grave challenge. Without decisive measures to tighten controls, halting the growth of this addiction crisis will be impossible.
