Edit the text below to compose a letter to your State Representative. Don’t forget to delete these instructions before sending your sample letter.
Once you have found your state rep, personalize this sample letter by changing anything in red font to your own situation and/or relevant information.
Please do not write a very long, detailed account of your BZD injury or illness for your State Representative, as their time is very limited and it will detract from the purpose of contacting them, which is to have them file a resolution in your state.
FYI, State legislature happening in:
Sample Letter Two:
Dear Representative [add your rep's name],
I want to first thank you for the service that you provide. I don't think anyone can truly understand how much effort and sacrifice it takes to be in public service.
I am writing to you to request that you file a resolution in [insert your state] recognizing ‘World Benzo Awareness Day’ (aka W-BAD). What is W-BAD? It is a worldwide awareness effort created to raise awareness to the damaging effects of long-term benzodiazepine prescription. If you are not already familiar with this class of medication by that name, you would recognize it by some of the more commonly prescribed name brands including Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan.
Long-term use (past 2-4 weeks) is contraindicated, yet prescriptions continue to be written for benzodiazepines for many months and even years (with Utah being one of the highest, if not the highest, consumer per capita). Benzodiazepines are being doled out without patients being given informed consent or having any understanding of the risks and harms that could result from taking these drugs exactly as prescribed.
I have been deeply affected by the horrendous effects of benzodiazepines. [Add a brief summary of your personal account here, e.g. My husband was prescribed Xanax when he was 17 years old for anxiety and he has ALWAYS taken them only as directed. He was told that he would likely have to take them for the rest of his life. However, neither he nor his parents (he was a minor at the time) were ever warned about the risks associated with their use. He is now 31 years old and has never been worse. He cannot work, leave the house, and many days cannot get out of bed. He is still currently taking a benzodiazepine as prescribed and is struggling to taper safely off under the direction of his current medical provider; suffering a severe withdrawal syndrome. This treatment has proven to be painful and highly destructive in every aspect our lives. It has been and still is a very devastating road to walk down that we would not wish upon others. We have personally seen firsthand the heavy side effects and extreme worsening of the original symptoms due to his long term use.)]
As an active member of several online support communities for people harmed by these drugs, I have learned that our story is one of many. Too many if you ask me. Patients deserve the right to know the true risks and costs associated with the ‘treatments’ their doctors are suggesting so that they can make an informed decision about their own health and welfare.
Please help me to save others from this completely preventable tragedy. Permit me to provide you with an example of a resolution that is being filed in Massachusetts for WBAD:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY
WHEREAS, THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY IS ON JULY 11, 2016; AND
WHEREAS, THE DATE OF JULY 11TH WAS CHOSEN TO HONOR THE BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR HEATHER ASHTON OF NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY FOR HER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO SAFE WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES, AND;
WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE VICTIMS OF IRRESPONSIBLE PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AS A MEANS TO UNIFY, AND;
WHEREAS, THE BENZODIAZEPINE VICTIM COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR CONSISTENT REGULATIONS AND SAFE PRACTICE METHODS FOR PRESCRIBING BENZODIAZEPINES; AND
WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY SETS OUT TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES; THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE FORWARDED BY THE CLERK OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO EDWIN LORENZANA
Here is a link to a video which explains what ‘World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day’ is and why change is so desperately needed by global governing bodies to regulate these dangerous drugs.
World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day Explainer Video
Other videos, if time allows, can be viewed on the W-BAD YouTube Channel where some of the victims detail their harrowing experiences with these taken-as-prescribed drugs:
World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day’s website: worldbenzoday.org
If it is of interest to you, there has been a Bill filed in Massachusetts regarding this very issue (I would love to see a similar Bill filed here in insert your state, as it is so needed.)
I am pleading with you to hear these voices. Please take the time to learn more about this.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration of this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectively,
[Your name]
[Location]
[Contact information - e.g., Email, phone number, address, etc.]
