"Lorazepam, also known by its brand name Ativan, is a type of drug known as a benzodiazepine, or benzo. It is thought to work by boosting the effect of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. Now researchers in the US say the name-dropping of lorazepam on The White Lotus has fuelled a rise in interest around the drug and how to access it."
"Researchers at the University of California San Diego analysed data from Google, finding that, while searches for lorazepam were stable from January 2022 to the end of the first week of February 2025, they surged after the third season of The White Lotus was released on 16 February and remained at increased levels for the next 12 weeks."
"That this TV show is causing people to explore purchasing benzodiazepines online is particularly concerning because there is a huge amount of illicit production of benzodiazepines, and these drugs are often dosed incorrectly and/or inconsistently and sometimes contain different drugs entirely, she said. Recently, some illicit benzodiazepines' which people have bought online have been found to contain nitazenes, a dangerous synthetic opioid, which could lead to overdose or even death if taken."
Lorazepam (Ativan) is a benzodiazepine that enhances GABA activity in the brain. Researchers at UC San Diego analysed Google search data and found searches for lorazepam were stable from January 2022 until early February 2025, then surged after The White Lotus season 3 release on 16 February and remained elevated for 12 weeks. The team estimates nearly twice as many lorazepam-related searches during that period, about 1.6 million additional searches. Queries about how to obtain lorazepam rose about 64%, roughly 30,000 extra searches. Experts warn illicit benzodiazepines are often inconsistently dosed and can contain nitazenes, risking overdose and death.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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