A UN body has warned against overuse of sedatives by older people, warning of links with developing dementia.

The United Nations has raised concerns about the overprescribing of insomnia and anxiety drugs, warning older patients who use them could have a 50 per cent higher chance of developing dementia.

The International Narcotics Control Board's annual report, released on Wednesday night, says the unwarranted prescribing and overuse of benzodiazepines by older people could be dangerous, because older patients are often using more than one medication at a time.

Patients over 65 using the drugs have been shown to have a 50 per cent higher chance of developing dementia within 15 years, compared with those who have never used them.
Studies have also shown a risk of drug dependence as a result of unnecessary use of the drugs.

"Insomnia seems common among this category of patients, making them an attractive target group for manufacturers of sleeping pills," the report says.

"Healthcare staff, especially in nursing homes, but also family members and caregivers of elderly people, need to be made aware of the risks of overusing benzodiazepines."

The report says cannabis remains the most abused drug in the Oceania region but warns new psychoactive substances, including synthetic cannabinoids, are on the rise.
It says states should provide humane help to drug users and offer them alternatives to punishment.

But "simplistic calls" for permitting non-medical use of illicit drugs "should be seen as inadequate to remedy the drug-related problems to be faced in a globalised and unequal world".

They ignore the realities of many countries where governments are overwhelmed by the negative effects of loosely-controlled alcohol and tobacco products, it said.

INCB President Werner Sipp said it wasn't a case of choosing between militarised drug law enforcement or legalising drug use, "but rather to put health and welfare at the centre of a balanced drug policy".

The report comes as the Greens urge a rethink of drug policy in Australia, insisting treatment of drug use as a criminal matter rather than a health matter isn't working.

"We're hearing from the experts that removing criminal penalties for personal drug use would go a long way to helping drug users come forward for treatment," Greens leader Richard Di Natale said in February.