For example, by the 1970s, Valium was the single most prescribed brand of medicine in the United States, used by about one in five women. It was also the cause of more emergency room visits than all illicit drugs combined. Though overdose from Valium is virtually impossible, withdrawal symptoms are anything but banal; combined with tolerance and craving, these drugs are highly addictive. Nonetheless, in 1980, 2.6 billion pills were dispensed, which is almost one hundred doses per person.
