In Switzerland in 2024, 1.8% of the population had taken sleeping pills and tranquillisers daily or almost daily in the previous 30 days. In the age group 70 years and older, this proportion is 5.0%.
This indicator is part of the Monitoring System Addiction and NCD (MonAM) of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Sleeping pills or tranquilizers are primarily used to treat sleep disorders or anxiety states. They can be lighter medications available over-the-counter, but also more potent drugs, such as benzodiazepines, which carry a significant risk of dependence. Therefore, their use should be limited to the strictly necessary period, and discontinuation should be done carefully as soon as the clinical situation allows.
To a lesser extent, sleeping pills or tranquilizers may also be misused without a prescription. Improper use, particularly of potent sleeping pills or tranquilizers, carries significant risks, including the development of physical and psychological dependence. Taking high doses, especially of potent sleeping pills or tranquilizers, can also result in a risk of potentially life-threatening overdose.
Definition
This indicator shows the proportion of the population aged 15 and over that had taken sleeping pills or tranquillisers every day or almost every day (on at least 20 days) in the previous 30 days.
Addiction Switzerland collected these data on behalf of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) between 2011 and 2016 as part of a telephone survey (CoRoIAR) of around 11 000 people. Since 2018, these questions have been asked in a comparable way in the Health and Lifestyle survey, an online questionnaire by the FOPH and the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (n2018 ≈ 5600; n2022 ≈ 5400; n2024 ≈ 6000).
Since 2022 the following three questions have been asked in the survey (if the answer was yes, the next question was asked):
- Question 1: "Have you taken any sleeping pills or tranquillisers in the last 12 months? e.g., Valium, Ativan, Xanax, Temesta"
- Question 2: "Have you taken any sleeping pills or tranquillisers in the last 30 days?"
- Question 3: "On how many days have you taken sleeping pills or tranquillisers in the last 30 days?"
The shares shown in the indicator refer to persons who answered the last question with "on 20 days or more".
Sources
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH): Health and lifestyle Survey
- Addiction monitoring in Switzerland: CoRolAR (in German and French)
Further information
- Addiction in Switzerland: Website (in German. French, and Italian)
- Entwicklung der Verschreibung von Schmerz- und Schlafmedikamenten in der Schweiz (2021). Federal statistical office (FSO), Berne: Factsheet (in German, French, and Italian).
- Gmel, G. et al. (2018). Suchtmonitoring Schweiz – Einnahme von psychoaktiven Medikamenten in der Schweiz im Jahr 2016. Addiction in Switzerland, Lausanne: Report (in German, summary in French).
- Swiss Health Observatory (Obsan). Health Care Atlas: Benzodiazepines.
Media enquiries
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Tel. +41 58 462 95 05
media@bag.admin.ch
Enquiries
Tel. +41 58 463 60 45
obsan@bfs.admin.ch
https://www.obsan.admin.ch/en/contact
