Portrayal Of Lorazepam Use Intv Series Associated With Increased Online Searches For The Drug

In play 3 of nan deed tv bid The White Lotus, nan characteristic Victoria Ratliff takes nan medicine anti-anxiety medicine lorazepam to thief pinch her societal worry and inability to sleep. Her casual usage of nan powerful benzodiazepine - often successful operation pinch achromatic vino - leads to her becoming visibly loopy, slurring her words, and falling dormant astatine dinner.

A caller study led by researchers astatine University of California San Diego has recovered that nan show's portrayal of lorazepam usage was associated pinch a surge successful Google searches for nan medication, including queries related to acquiring it online.

The findings propose that nan show generated 1.6 cardinal much searches for lorazepam complete a 12-week play than what would usually beryllium expected for nan clip period. This summation successful liking was not observed for different commonly prescribed benzodiazepines, specified arsenic alprazolam and clonazepam, which were not mentioned successful nan show.

"It's a really absorbing arena of really intermezo media tin really bespeak and thrust quality behavior," said lead writer Kevin Yang, M.D., resident expert successful nan Department of Psychiatry astatine UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The study besides analyzed searches for really and wherever to get lorazepam online.

"We saw important increases successful searches related to acquiring lorazepam arsenic well," said elder writer Eric Leas, Ph.D., M.P.H., adjunct professor astatine UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and connection module astatine Qualcomm Institute. "It shows that location mightiness beryllium a subset of group that are really wanting to fig retired really to get that medicine online."

During nan people of nan season, Victoria Ratliff offers lorazepam to her hubby Timothy, who yet steals her pills and develops a dependence connected nan supplier amid a individual financial crisis.

"Not only would he return it, but he would besides harvester it pinch alcohol, which we cognize is very dangerous," said Yang. " For nan curen of anxiety, lorazepam is typically prescribed for nan short word  because semipermanent usage tin lead to tolerance and dependence arsenic good arsenic misuse. Studies person shown that almost 1 successful 5 group who are prescribed benzodiazepines yet extremity up misusing them."

That's concerning because nan show emphasized nan benefits of lorazepam usage, not nan imaginable risks, specified arsenic dependence, respiratory slump and cognitive impairment, according to Yang.

"It didn't really represent immoderate of nan adverse effects that mightiness travel from taking excessively overmuch aliases from stopping it each of a sudden,"  he said.

Yang recommends that nan intermezo manufacture and show producers return statement of nan imaginable effect of depicted supplier usage connected spectator behaviour and create champion practices astir this type of content, which could see warnings astatine nan opening and nan extremity of each episode. He besides recommends that hunt engines supply informational warnings erstwhile group hunt for really to get nan supplier online, focusing connected accurate, evidence-based accusation and support resources.

For viewers, nan suggests taking a skeptical attack erstwhile searching for accusation online.

"My proposal would beryllium to return everything that is portrayed successful nan media, whether that's connected TV, movie aliases successful music, pinch a atom of salt," he said. "It's only showing 1 facet of nan medication, and that location are imaginable downsides. But ultimately, for things for illustration medications, it's important to talk pinch your doctor."

The study was published connected November 14, 2025 successful JAMA Health Forum.