When risks outweigh benefits: A review of the guideline on benzodiazepine tapering.

About 1 in 10 adults in the United States report having used benzodiazepines in the past year. These medications carry substantial risks, including falls, cognitive impairment, overdose, and death, particularly when combined with alcohol or opioids. The American Society of Addiction Medicine, in collaboration with 9 other professional societies, has issued recommendations on when and how to taper and discontinue benzodiazepines. The authors of this article summarize important points from the guideline, aimed at all who provide long-term benzodiazepine prescriptions.