Sad record: France is the leading consumer of sleeping pills in Europe. On average, we swallow 3 to 5 times more sleeping pills than our European neighbors. And 27% of adults over 65 take it regularly. (source: Haute Autorité de Santé, 2012)
Except that this habit could well have negative effects on our health. Flashback: 20 years ago, a large international working group (which brought together Norwegian, Finnish and British scientists) looked into the question and analyzed the state of health of 30,000 volunteer individuals. The results of this (very) long-term study have just been published, and they are shivering.
Cancer and cancerous tumors
“Adults who take sleeping pills consistently and regularly are 2.5 times more likely than others to develop lung cancer, or cancerous tumors in the lungs, nose and mouth, explain the researchers. This rate would be even higher if the person is a smoker, even occasionally. “
The drugs in question are from the benzodiazepine and Z-drugs family. Does it ring a bell ? You may know them by their trade name: Valium, Xanax, Temazépan, Zolpidem … “Obviously, additional studies will be necessary to confirm these results, however qualify the researchers. Right now, we don’t want to say anything categorically. “
Good news: quitting smoking for 15 years resets the counters to zero.
