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Benzos. See also tranquilisers.
Benzodiazepines are the most commonly
prescribed minor tranquilisers, known as anziolytics (for daytime anxiety
relief) and hypnotics (to promote sleep).
THE
LAW
All benzodiazepines are
Prescription Only medicines under the Medicines
Act. This means they can only
be legally supplied by a pharmacist in accordance with a doctors prescription.
They are also controlled as a class C drug under the Misuse
of Drugs Act. This also makes
it illegal to supply them to someone else, the maximum penalty being fourteen
years imprisonment and a fine. Until recently, possession was not an arrestable
offence if you did not have a prescription, except for Rohypnol and temazepam.
Now police can arrest an individual in possession of any minor tranquilliser
who cannot show a legitimate prescription for them.
Under the Misuse of Drugs
Act possession brings with it a maximum sentence of two years and an unlimited
fine or both. Selling them on can bring fourteen years and/or fine for
trafficking.
LATEST
UK NEWS
Surveys suggest that one
in seven British adults take benzodiazepines at some time during the year,
and 1 in 40 take them throughout the year. The proportion of women using
prescribed psychotropics is double the proportion of men.
There is no known illicit
manufacture of benzodiazepines. The benzodiazepines which circulate on
the illicit market are diverted from legitimate clients either by over-prescription,
that is to say individuals selling on part, or all, of their legitimately
precribed drugs, or by theft from pharmacies, hospitals or retailers.
HISTORY
Tranquillisers were first
manufactured in the 1960s and seen as safe, non addictive drugs which
could be used by doctors to treat anxiety and sleeping pills. They were
at first regarded as a hazard free alternative to the prescribing of barbiturates.
Although many people, particularly
women, suffered serious side effects and dependence prescribing of tranquillisers
continued to grow for over 20 years. It was not until the late 1970s that
these problems were openly acknowledged. Prescriptions for tranquillisers
fell from just over 30 million in 1979 to less than half that amount in
the late 1990s. Despite this fall tranquillisers are still the most commonly
prescribed mood altering drugs in the UK
EFFECTS/
RISKS
Tranquillisers are sedative
drugs which slow down people's reactions and can make them feel drowsy,
lethargic and forgetful. They relieve anxiety and tension and can make
people feel more calm and relaxed. Effects begin after 10-15 minutes and
can last up to 6 hours without repeating the dose.
"It's like
a dream state. It gets you away from it all. It cushions you so you don't
worry or care anymore. You don't really know what is going on".
The effect of slowing reactions
and making people drowsy can make accidents more likely. It can be dangerous
to drive while on tranquillisers. With regular use tolerance
can develop quickly so increasing amounts are needed to get the same effect.
Dependence
can also quickly develop with regular use so that withdrawal
can lead to intense anxiety, nausea, insomnia, irritability and headaches.
Sudden withdrawal from very high doses can be very dangerous and result
in confusion and serious convulsions. Many people find it very difficult
to give up and may need a gradually reduced dosage to do so.
"Temazepam
took over my life. It creeps up on you and is very addictive. I started
using to bring me down from acid trips to make me feel normal. I liked
them and started to use more and more. And that's when the problems really
started because I couldn't leave them alone".
Regular users often find
that after a time tranquillisers become ineffective in giving the desired
effect. Continual use may mean they become ineffective as sleeping pills
after 2 weeks and ineffective to combat anxiety after 4 months. The temptation
is then to increase the dosage. Tranquillisers are only really effective
as short term medicines but many people are dependent and have been taking
them for several years.
A lot of tranquillisers
have to be taken to fatally overdose but there have been many cases where
people have died when also drinking alcohol.
Updated
April 2004
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