In the third series of the hit TV show The White Lotus, the entitled North Carolina housewife Victoria Ratliff is often shown reaching for her lorazepam. Now researchers say internet searches for the anti-anxiety drug surged after the show’s release.
Lorazepam, also known by its brand name Ativan, is a type of drug known as a benzodiazepine, or “benzo”. It is thought to work by boosting the effect of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain.
Researchers in the US say the name-dropping of lorazepam on The White Lotus has fuelled a rise in interest around the drug and how to access it.
Dr Olivia Maynard of the University of Bristol, who was not involved in the study, described the data as striking.
“That this TV show is causing people to explore purchasing benzodiazepines online is particularly concerning because there is a huge amount of illicit production of benzodiazepines, and these drugs are often dosed incorrectly and/or inconsistently and sometimes contain different drugs entirely,” she said.
“Recently, some illicit ‘benzodiazepines’ which people have bought online have been found to contain nitazenes, a dangerous synthetic opioid, which could lead to overdose or even death if taken.”
Researchers at the University of California San Diego analysed data from Google, finding that, while searches for lorazepam were stable from January 2022 to the end of the first week of February 2025, they surged after the third season of The White Lotus was released on 16 February and remained at increased levels for the next 12 weeks.
Overall, the team say there were almost twice as many searches relating to lorazepam over this 12-week period than would normally be expected, equating to about 1.6m additional searches.
There was also an increase in the number of searches about how to get hold of lorazepam, with such queries about 64% higher than expected for the 12-week period – reflecting about 30,000 extra searches.
However, no such spikes were seen for searches related to alprazolam or clonazepam – benzodiazepines not mentioned in The White Lotus.
While the study, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum, cannot unpick whether people were simply searching for information about lorazepam or buying the drug, the researchers say the results raise concerns given the rise in prescribing of such medications and the increase in illegitimate online pharmacies selling benzodiazepines without prescriptions.
The researchers also warn The White Lotus did not portray the risks of suddenly stopping lorazepam – noting this can cause panic attacks, agitation, and seizures – or convey the dangers of drinking alcohol while taking benzodiazepines. As the NHS website notes: “It can make you sleep very deeply. You may have breathing problems and difficulty waking up.”
The researchers say the entertainment industry should develop ‘best practice’ approaches to how prescription medications are shown, adding the use of health information panels could sate curiosity.
Harry Sumnall, a professor of substance use at Liverpool John Moores University, said that, while signposting to further advice and support is sometimes included at the end of shows, there are other approaches to keeping viewers safe.
“Whilst it could be useful if entertainment shows incorporated health advice where potentially harmful products are prominent, I don’t think this is realistic to expect from a creative point of view, and there is the risk that heavy-handed warnings can lead to counterproductive outcomes,” he said.
“Where access to medicines is concerned, I think the greatest impacts will be seen through enforcement action against illicit manufacturers and unregulated providers, and prescriber education, as over-[prescribing] or inappropriate prescribing of clinically useful but potentially harmful medicines remains a concern.”
