Misuse of benzodiazepines raises concerns in Quebec and is prompting the College of Physicians to increase its scrutiny of doctors who overprescribe them.

Benzos, as they are colloquially called, are a class of prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, among other disorders, and include brand-name drugs such as Valium, Xanax, and Ativan.

But experts say they can have serious side effects and can become addictive, especially when misused.

Camille Gagnon, a pharmacist and deputy director of the Canadian Network for Appropriate Drug Use and Prescribing, said: "These drugs are intended for short-term use to treat insomnia or anxiety."

"What worries us is that most people do not use them for a short period; in fact, they use them for months or years."

Gagnon added that one in 10 people in Canada has a prescription for benzodiazepines.

Twelve people who spoke to Radio Canada Enquête said the drugs were prescribed to them by their doctors, but most said they were not warned about side effects, including withdrawal symptoms that changed their lives.

Jérémy Morin, a supervisor at a water treatment plant who turned to benzodiazepines to overcome the difficulty of alternating between day and night shifts, said: "There were no warnings about long-term risks, and risks of stopping the treatment."

His doctor gave him a prescription for 0.5 mg Lorazepam tablets, a benzodiazepine drug used to treat anxiety disorders, and he could take and renew it as much as he wanted.

But he soon became dependent on it. His personality changed. He began to feel anxious and afraid of open spaces.

So he stopped taking the drugs, but then withdrawal symptoms appeared. He felt panic and fear constantly.

The Canadian Ministry of Health says popular anti-anxiety drugs need stronger warning labels.

He added: "There was no way to relax, no way to relax." He said if it hadn't been for his partner's support, he definitely would have died by suicide. "I even gave her the keys to my rifle cabinet because I had reached that point."

James Dean Trippanier said he became addicted to benzos without knowing what he was taking.

After undergoing gallbladder surgery, he said his doctor offered him what he described as a muscle relaxant.

Trippanier continued: "They told me it was a muscle relaxant and that I would take it when I felt pain and it would relieve me. I was never told that it was a type of benzodiazepine."

He did not realize he had become addicted until after eight years of taking it and tried to wean himself off. But he also went into deep withdrawal.

His balance was disturbed. He was anxious and sensitive to noise and light. He said, "I had to wear sunglasses indoors."

But he said what really upset him was many doctors' unwillingness to take his condition seriously.

He added: "If someone comes to you and talks to you about feeling unwell because of any symptoms, please believe them." "If I had gotten that support, I would be fine."

Trippanier said he does not blame the doctor who prescribed the benzodiazepine because he believes they do not know how serious the drugs are despite the fact that the manufacturers' studies are very clear and detailed about the risks and side effects these drugs can have on some users.

Now, the College of Physicians in Quebec says it will increase scrutiny of doctors who prescribe benzodiazepines excessively. The college announced last January that it will contact doctors considered among the highest prescribers of the drug.

RAMQ, which administers the public health insurance program in Quebec, will flag doctors who prescribe the drugs and the college will follow up with individual doctors to ensure they are aware of the risks the drugs pose.

In other provinces, medical associations surpass Quebec and already impose clear limits on benzodiazepine prescriptions. For example, Alberta limits initial benzodiazepine prescriptions to seven doses, while Nova Scotia, where benzodiazepine use is at its highest levels in Canada, limits the dose from two to four weeks.