Zopiclone is the so-called ‘safer’ sleeping pill dished out by doctors to millions of Britons each year.
When it was launched in the 1990s, it was touted as a user-friendly alternative to older and notoriously addictive tranquillisers.
And in the short-term, zopiclone causes few problems. Indeed, it can be a lifeline to those battling the agony of sleeplessness.