O'Connell's Off Topic

Sleeping Pills Called 'as Risky as Cigarettes'
Study Links Sleeping Pills to 4.6-Fold Higher Death Risk

Feb. 27, 2012 -- A provocative new study finds that people who take prescription sleeping pills -- even once in a while -- have a higher death risk than non-users.

The top third of sleeping-pill users had a 5.3-fold higher death risk. They also had a 35% higher risk of cancer, the study found.

"We are not certain. But it looks like sleeping pills could be as risky as smoking cigarettes. It looks much more dangerous to take these pills than to treat insomnia another way," study leader Daniel F. Kripke, MD, tells WebMD.