FDA Should Add “Black Box” Warning to Opioids and Benzodiazepines: Health Officials

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, February 23, 2016

"Officials from state and local health departments around the country are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add “black box” warnings to opioid painkillers and sedatives known as benzodiazepines, to alert people that taking them together increases the risk of fatal overdoses.

On Monday 41 health officials submitted a petition to the FDA about the warnings, The Washington Post reports.

The petition urges the FDA to adopt labeling for all opioid medications that reads: 'Warning: Concurrent use with benzodiazepines reduces the margin of safety for respiratory depression and contributes to the risk of fatal overdose, particularly in the setting of misuse.' A similar warning would be placed on benzodiazepines, warning about mixing the drugs with opioids. Read more

For resources to speak with youth about the dangers of prescription pills abuse, http://www.preventionworksct.org/resources/parent_resource.html