PARKER POSEY –
Nov. 14, 2025 – The latest season of “The White Lotus” delivered big ratings for HBO — and fueled a surge of Google searches for a risky antianxiety prescription drug featured on the show. Sedative drugs are highly effective but should not be used longer than two to four weeks because of the risk of dependence. “Very rarely are people adequately educated about that before they’re given a prescription for these meds,” Ritvo said.
The medical community has long known about the dangers of prolonged use of benzodiazepines, or benzos, as they are often called.
In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued stronger warnings for benzodiazepines, detailing the risk of abuse, addiction and withdrawal symptoms. The updated boxed warning came amid rising concerns about benzodiazepine abuse, with the agency estimating half of prescriptions were for longer than two months.
